The Trillhouse SinThology
by Trillhouse
Summary: A collection of short stories, one-shots, and ficlets in a multitude of genres, centered around the next generation of Louds. Whether you like the Sin Kids or not, you might find something that tickles your fancy.
1. Smoke Break

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Aaaaalrighty. That's right, I'm doing it... kicking off an anthology series. Perhaps I've finally jumped the shark.**

 **At any rate, welcome to the Trillhouse Anthology. This will be a collection of short ficlets, drabbles, half-spun ideas and one-shots too short to warrant posting them on their own. Consider my old fic 'Quality Time'; quite frankly that should be here too, but I'm leaving it as is.**

 **Some of these stories may be heartwarming. They may be sad, or disturbing, or funny. Some may include shipping, some may not. You know the drill with anthologies. That said, I may also do short spinoffs from my main works. In any case, this one is a short story featuring two of the 'sin kids' that I actually _like..._ Lupa and Lemy. I actually wrote this one a week or so ago. It was initially posted as a greentext on 4chan, and has in fact been sitting on my Deviantart account for some time. As it was originally a greentext, it's a lot simpler than my usual works, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. **

* * *

Smoke Break

* * *

It was a crisp autumn afternoon in Royal Woods, Michigan. A lone girl skulked her way down the street, hands jammed firmly into her sweater pockets; her stark white hair contrasted heavily with her black-and-yellow clothing. She wore a disinterested expression as she walked, her half-lidded eyes trained firmly in front of her. Her parents weren't fond of her walking all the way to the mall by herself, but she didn't care… she'd made the trip many times before, and would continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Not that Lupa particularly _cared_ about the mall… at least, not to the extent many of her half-siblings did. Rather, it gave her something to _do,_ or at least somewhere else to _be._ Quite frankly, there were precious few things the girl _did_ care about, and even some of her own sisters weren't on that list. She knew that was a bit fucked up, but then again it'd be more of a surprise if she _weren't_ fucked up considering her parentage.

The heavy, dreary doom metal blasting through her earbuds drowned out all outside noise as she neared the mall. Needless to say, Lupa was not a happy girl. She had been, once… until she stumbled across the photo albums in the attic. She'd been fine with her father's polyamorous lifestyle, but the revelation that he was also her _uncle_ had troubled her to no end.

Lupa loved her dad. She really did. But their relationship was… _unusual,_ to say the least; to this day she couldn't even begin to fathom what had led the man down this path, to father _ten_ children across _nine_ different women… his own _sisters,_ no less. As much as she loved him, she couldn't help but resent him a bit. Her existence was _unnatural,_ as was that of her siblings. Not that she could fully blame her mother and aunts for falling for the man… even if he was a bit dorky, there was something about him that was just irresistible. Even Lupa had felt it herself, though she would never admit it out loud.

Regardless of her family's best attempts to hide the nature of their relationship, it didn't stop rumors from going around… many true, but many not. But Lupa was used to that. She was used to the whispers, the assumptions, the accusations. She had no idea what her grandparents thought of the arrangement, but given their complete absence from her life she could only imagine they did _not_ approve. They'd taken their youngest daughter, Lily, with them; while she'd reconnected with her siblings in recent years, Lupa sincerely wished she _wouldn't,_ lest she fall into the same trap. The last thing her life needed was _more_ complication.

Lupa walked straight past the mall entrance, instead circling around to the rear of the building. She fished her cigarette carton out of her pocket. T _his_ was the main reason she came here: not to shop, but to smoke in peace. Obviously she couldn't do so at _home,_ and the back of the mall was usually fairly quiet; doubly so on a lazy Sunday afternoon like this, where the lack of shipments meant there were few employees bustling around. Granted, she might see the occasional shifty figure lurking about, but she didn't particularly care. _Maybe I'll be abducted,_ she thought to herself. _It'd be interesting, at least._

Lupa placed a cigarette in her mouth before slipping the carton back into her pocket. There was one spot in particular that she favored, right behind a closed-down storefront that had yet to find a new tenant. Obviously, it was the quietest spot in the area, and the concrete barricade separating the truck ramp from the level ground served as a perfect seat.

But as the moody girl rounded the corner, she found to her surprise that someone was already there. She clicked her tongue in annoyance before realizing that she _knew_ this person… quite well, in fact. His messy brown hair was unmistakable, held back by a stylish bandana bearing a cow skull design; his faded green jacket gave him a grungy rocker appearance that belied his young age. Lupa had no idea what he was doing here, until she noticed the thin white stick protruding from between his lips. He held a lighter in his palm, grumbling under his breath in frustration as he repeatedly tried and failed to light it. "C'mon, you stupid little…!"

"What are you doing, Lemy?"

The boy yelped in surprise, dropping his lighter to the ground. He'd been so caught up in his efforts that he hadn't even noticed his half-sister coming up behind him… granted, few ever _did._ It was a trait she'd inherited from her mother, of course. "L-Lupa!" He stammered. "What're you doing here…?"

"This is my spot," Lupa stated plainly. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the cigarette hanging from Lemy's mouth. "Since when do you smoke?"

"Er…" Lemy coughed, scratching his cheek. "Y'know… been at it for a while." He was trying his best to sound casual, but Lupa was far from convinced.

"Looked like you were having a little trouble, there."

"Yeahhh…" Lemy laughed nervously. "Stupid thing's acting up today." Lupa cocked an eyebrow before leaning down to pick up the lighter. The flame ignited with a single flick of her thumb, and Lupa shot the young metalhead an unimpressed glare. "W-well, how about that…"

"Yeah. How about that." Lupa muttered as she lit the cigarette in her mouth, using her other hand to cup the flame. She gestured towards Lemy with her head; he seemed to get the idea, placing his own cigarette back in his mouth and letting his sister light it.

"Thanks," He grumbled sheepishly. Lupa simply gave a small nod and took a long drag from her cigarette before exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. Lemy tried his best to emulate her, taking the biggest drag he could manage. Almost the second the smoke reached his throat his eyes shot wide open and he doubled over, violently hacking and retching as tears formed in his eyes.

Lupa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You really are a dumbass, you know that?" Lupa said with a sigh. She took a seat next to the boy, letting his coughing fit subside before speaking again. "Why are you smoking, Lemy?" She asked, her tone deadpan as ever.

"Because I want to," Lemy scoffed, picking his cigarette up off the ground; thankfully, it was still lit. He brushed some gravel off before placing it back between his lips, forcing himself to breathe in again. He still coughed, though not as bad… but it was clear to Lupa that it was very uncomfortable for him.

"You shouldn't." Lupa said as she took another drag from her cigarette. "It's bad for you."

Lemy cocked an eyebrow. "…You smoke. You're smoking _right now._ " Lupa gave a small shrug, blowing out a plume of smoke.

"Doesn't mean you should." Lupa muttered as she tapped some ash off the end of her cigarette. "Trust me, Lemy. I'm not someone you want to imitate."

"Well… maybe I _want_ to." The metalhead mumbled under his breath. Lupa glanced at her brother out of the corner of her eye, taking note of his sullen posture. Normally, Lemy was a pretty easygoing kid… but as of late she'd definitely started noticing some changes in his demeanor. He'd been a lot quieter, a lot more withdrawn.

A lot more like _her._

"What's going on?" She asked quietly. Lemy sighed, a small puff of smoke escaping his mouth.

"How do you do it, Lupa?"

Lupa frowned slightly. "…Do what?"

" _Deal_ with it," Leny explained. "All of it. The rumors, the gossip… just being what we _are._ " He turned his head slightly to look at his sister; seeing him closer now, Lupa noticed the dark creases under her younger brother's eyes. "It just keeps getting _harder,_ Lupa. I don't… know how to handle it."

Lupa sucked her teeth in thought. "What, um… what makes you think _I_ do?"

"Because you never let anything get to you," Lemy muttered. "You're always so cool and collected… you just take everything in stride. You do your own thing, and you never care about what other people think about you. I, just, I don't know…" Lemy took another puff of his cigarette, letting out a few small coughs as he exhaled. "I feel like if I were more like you, maybe I wouldn't hurt so bad."

Lupa's mouth hung slightly ajar as she took in her brother's words. She bit her lip, averting her eyes from him slightly. "It's not… that things don't bother me, Lemy." She admitted. "They do. That's… _why_ I'm like this."

"What do you mean?" Lemy turned to his sister again. Lupa hesitated, her eyes focused on a pebble on the ground; she wasn't usually one to open up about her feelings, but for some reason she felt obligated to continue.

"I used to feel like you too," She said. "I used to hurt. So… I just stopped caring." Lupa shut her eyes as she took in another lungful of smoke, and then exhaled. "Or… I forced myself to, I guess."

"Then I-"

" _But._ " Lupa cut her brother off. "That doesn't mean you should do the same. You're better than that." She tapped out her ashes again before continuing. "I'd rather not see you end up like me."

Lemy frowned, drumming his fingers against his knee. "Why not?"

"Because…" Lupa grumbled, her face growing slightly hot. "Look, there's not much in this world worth giving a shit about. But… you are."

Her brother chuckled. "Never thought I'd hear you say _that_."

"Shut it," Lupa snapped. "At the end of the day you can do whatever the fuck you want. _I_ sure as hell did. But you're _better_ than me, and you can do better than that." Lupa glanced off to the side, her expression souring slightly. "…Being alone ain't all it's cracked up to be."

Lemy pursed his lips, his brow furrowed in sympathy. He had no idea his half-sister had been feeling this way… granted, she rarely showed any emotion at _all._ "Lupa… you're not alone," He said quietly. "You've got us. You've got _me._ "

"I know." Lupa sighed. "Look, it doesn't matter. Just… don't smoke, at least. You're too young."

Lemy looked at the smoldering cigarette clutched between his fingers. In truth, he hated it… it smelled awful, and tasted even worse. Plus, he knew fully well how unhealthy they were.

…But still.

"If I stop smoking…" He began, glancing at his sister. "I want you to stop too." Lupa visibly bristled at his ultimatum, her eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"…That's not fair, Lemy. " Lupa grumbled. Her brother simply shrugged, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Sounds fair to me. I stop, you stop. And as for the other stuff… maybe neither of us need to do things alone, you know?" Lemy gave Lupa a gentle smile, which she simply returned with an angry scowl.

"Alright, _whatever._ " Lupa groaned as she flicked her cigarette to the ground. Not that she really planned to _stop…_ but she figured she might as well play along for now.

Besides… it seemed to make him happy.

"Well, I'm bored." Lupa scoffed, getting to her feet. "You've already bored me."

"Well..." The young metalhead began, standing up with a little stretch. "You wanna hang out outside Urban Outfitters and laugh at hipsters?" Lupa smirked wickedly.

"See, Lemy, this is why you're one of the good ones."


	2. Please Hear Me

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Boy, I haven't touched this one in a while. If you follow me outside of FFdotnet, you're likely aware that I write a lot of short stories... and yet, despite that, I haven't uploaded any of them here. And why is that?**

 **Well, despite my initial intent for this to cover all manner of Loud House shorts, every short I've written thus far has been Sin Kids related. Yep, the kids have grown on me and admittedly a lot of my focus has shifted to them, at least as far as short stories go. So, rather than sit on my hands waiting for ideas, I figured to hell with it, might as well make this into a Sin Kids anthology and upload all the work I've done. I know there's plenty of readers here that don't follow me elsewhere, after all. And don't worry... this doesn't mean I'm giving up on normal Loud House fics. More Than a Sister has stalled due to my own failure to plan my story out well enough in advance, no other reason than that. It will continue, I will finish it, and I'll continue to write normal Loud House fics as I have been. I am sorry for my slow pace, however. Writer's block is a cruel mistress.**

 **These two shorts centered around the lenicoln kid, Liena. Often portrayed as mute or deaf, I decided to go with the latter for the purposes of a setting where none of the other sin kids exist. I do plan on continuing this at some point.**

 **Now then, on with the show.**

* * *

 **Please Hear Me  
** Part 1

 _Where is it…?_ Liena thought as she flitted about the kitchen, checking every single drawer to no avail. She let out a sigh and looked over to her mother, who stood at the counter checking the mail. Liena had no idea _why_ she found it necessary to do this; physical mail was all but obsolete. It _had_ been for as long as Liena could remember, and she couldn't recall ever seeing anything besides credit card offers and bills… which Liena had taken upon herself to handle online, since her mother couldn't be trusted to remember.

The young woman snapped her fingers to get her mother's attention. No response. She rolled her eyes and tried again, once again to no avail. Her mom seemed to be cheerfully oblivious, bobbing her head back and forth slightly; perhaps she was humming. Not that Liena had any way of knowing for sure… she didn't even know what humming _sounded_ like. Or anything else, for that matter. In any case, the chubby girl scrunched up her face in annoyance and tried _clapping_ this time… only to once again receive no response. With an uneven growl of frustration, Liena walked over to her mother's side and tapped her on the shoulder. Leni jumped slightly and turned, a warm smile spreading across her face as she saw her daughter.

"Oh! Yes, baby~?" Leni asked cheerfully… once again apparently failing to remember that her daughter could not hear her, nor was she good at reading lips. But Liena could at least tell that her mother had called her 'baby' again, a nickname she _knew_ she hated… or _should_ know, as least. Like many things in her life, Leni must have simply forgotten. Liena sighed under her breath; she figured there was little point in correcting her again. The deaf girl made a series of gestures with her hands.

(Where is the flour?) Liena asked her mother. Leni's brow furrowed as she tried to understand.

"U-um," Leni stammered, a flustered smile plastered on her face. "Sorry, can you go a bit slower…?" Liena had to force back another irritated groan; even if she couldn't hear her mother, the confused look on her face spoke volumes.

(Where is the flour.) Liena repeated, slower this time.

"I, uh…" Leni muttered, her face falling slightly. "I-I'm sorry, I still don't…" Liena grit her teeth.

 _(Where. Is. The. Flour.)_ This time each gesture was delivered firmly and with palpable frustration, but once again, Leni didn't seem to understand. She shook her head sadly, with an apologetic look in her eyes. Liena clenched her fists tightly. She took a deep breath through her nose to calm herself and grabbed her mother's phone off the countertop, typing in a message before handing it to her.

-Where is the flour-

"Oh…oh!" Leni gasped as she read the message. "Um… we're out, baby. I… I forgot to pick some up from the supermarket. I'm sorry…" She said quietly. Liena simply stared at her mother in exasperation. She gestured towards her mother with both palms to show her confusion, and Leni let out a gasp. "Oh! Um… right…" She quickly typed out her response and handed the phone back to her daughter. Liena stared down at the phone before glancing up at her mother with an annoyed glare. She entered her response and handed it back to her.

-I put it on the shopping list.-

-I frgot it sorry baby-

Liena looked down at the message, her hand trembling with anger. A child. It was like living with a goddamn _child_. She didn't understand how exactly this woman could be so skilled with fashion design yet still struggle in nearly every other aspect of her life.

She once again breathed in through her nose and let out a deep breath; she loved her mother. She really did. She knew that she tried her best. Unfortunately, her best just wasn't good enough.

Liena set the phone down on the countertop and strode back over to the incomplete fudge brownie mixture. That was today's plans out the window… though she could still make fudge, at least. She retrieved the whole milk from the refrigerator and poured it into a measuring cup. It had been easier when her dad was around… _he_ had been able to learn ASL with little issue, and had served as an interpreter between her and her mother. Things were easier, then. Liena was _happier_. Her father had been a wonderful man; kind, patient, and understanding regarding her condition. She'd loved him more than anything.

And then there was the accident.

She'd only been twelve years old. Even with her seatbelt, it had been a miracle that Liena survived; the impact had been so powerful that the entire front of the car had crumpled, nearly reaching all the way to the windshield. Her father hadn't been so lucky. A faulty seatbelt allowed him to smash his head against the windshield, killing him instantly. And just like that, Lincoln Loud was no more… taken from the world far too soon, leaving behind an anguished girlfriend and daughter.

They'd received a large settlement from the car manufacturer, not that it did anything to ease the pain. Liena would give up every last cent to see her father again, even for a moment. But, no… now she was stuck with a woman who could barely understand her, who still treated her like a _child…_ who could barely even take care of herself, let alone a daughter. At just nineteen years old, it fell on Liena to be the adult of the house. Liena felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. She turned to see the woman looking at her with a sorrowful gaze… one sincere enough to ease her frustration a bit.

(I'm sorry.) Leni signed to her daughter. It was one of perhaps five or so phrases she could remember, which was something of a necessity given how often she had to use it.

Liena sighed, feeling her anger slip away. She knew she was too hard on her mother… Leni didn't _mean_ to do these things. Again, she always tried her best. She gave her mom a small, reassuring smile, placing her hand over hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. This seemed to work, as Leni returned it with a loving grin of her own before leaving her daughter to her work. But as soon as her mom's back was turned, the deaf girl's smile faded from her face in an instant. She returned to mixing the milk in with the batter, albeit with a heavy heart. As much as she loved her mom, it never got any easier. When the most important person left in her life couldn't even understand her, all she could feel was pain; she would give anything to have her father back in her life. She'd even give up her own mother if she had to.

Liena had been deaf from the moment she was born, but only her mother made her feel _truly_ incapable.

* * *

Part 2

Another night, another silent dinner. Of course, for Liena everything was silent, but when her father was alive she had at least been able to have a conversation. With her mother, no such luck… the best they could do was pass a notepad back and forth, a far less convenient method of communication for the deaf girl.

-Dinner is delishus- Leni wrote before sliding the notepad over to her daughter. Liena sighed at her mother's misspelling before writing back:

-Thank you.-

-How is school going?-

-Fine.- Liena was attending an institute of the culinary arts, of course… not that it was particularly easy. Obviously, there was no such school specifically geared towards deaf students, which required her to hire an interpreter to translate her instructor's words into ASL. This meant she had to be twice as attentive as any of the other students, but the institute had been very accommodating towards her needs.

-Do u need any help with ur homework?- Liena rolled her eyes. This again… no matter how many times she explained it, her mom never seemed to get it through that thick skull of hers.

-Cooking school. No homework.- Not that she would have asked her mother for help anyway… she'd more than learned her lesson regarding that.

-Oh rite sorry i forgot- Leni wrote back, passing the notepad to her daughter with a small frown on her face.

-Yeah. I know.- Liena wrote, but stopped herself from passing it back; that was far too harsh. With a small sigh, she scribbled over it. –It's okay.- Her mother gave a warm smile at that before returning to her food. She was a mess, yes… but her heart was always in the right place. Liena often wondered if the accident had scrambled the woman's brain, or if perhaps she had always been that way and she just hadn't noticed due to her young age.

Liena idly picked at her food. An air of melancholy had hung over the family ever since Lincoln's death… both within their home and those of her aunts. Well, the ones that still spoke to them, anyway. The nature of her parents' relationship had driven much of the family away, save for Luna, Lucy, and Lily… and even then, all but Lucy were clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Still, every one of them had attended the funeral, and every one of them had wept for the fallen Loud. To this day, it was the only time she had met her grandparents and Lynn. Of course, few had attempted to speak with her, not that it would have been easy to do so anyway. The most meaningful, however, had been Luan… she'd gone out of her way to learn just enough sign language to offer her condolences, and had even given her niece a hug. Liena had thought that perhaps there would be a reconciliation between Luan and her mother, but it was not to be.

Still, Liena could hardly blame them. They hadn't seen what she had… they hadn't seen just how beautiful her parents' love was. At one time she had resented it, thinking that perhaps that was why she had been born deaf. But in the end, she decided it didn't matter. They were happy, and they loved each other, and they loved her regardless of her disability.

Before long they had finished their dinner and Liena began gathering up the plates, only for her mother to start doing the same. She frowned and tapped the woman's shoulder before shaking her head 'no' and pointing towards herself.

"It's okay, I've got it!" Leni said cheerfully… once again forgetting that her daughter couldn't hear her. Still, she was pretty sure she got the gist of it, and this time waggled her finger in disapproval; she knew exactly how this was going to turn out. She put her hand on the plate to stop her mother, but Leni gently tugged it out of her grasp. "It's okay baby, I-"

 _CRASH._

Liena groaned and buried her face in her palm. Yep… right on cue. Her mom had bumped a glass off the table, causing it to shatter on the ground.

"O-oh… oh, no…" Leni muttered, glancing down at the glass before looking at her daughter with an apologetic expression. (I'm sorry.) She signed yet again. Liena just took a deep breath through her nose, then exhaled. With as little anger as she could muster, she pointed for her mother to leave and let her handle it. Leni gave a small nod and left with her head hung in shame.

Liena clicked her tongue in frustration and left to get the broom and dustpan. Again, it fell on her shoulders to handle everything. She had to be the responsible one and deal with the mess her mother made. She'd never seen anyone so clumsy in her life… even the worst student at her culinary institute was more capable. She swept up the broken glass and dumped it into the trash before finally stacking the dishes and carrying them to the kitchen sink. One by one she rinsed them off, then put them in the dishwasher for cleaning. She wouldn't actually wash them yet; she'd rather wait until it was near-full before bothering, unlike her mother who saw little issue in running the dishwasher even if there was just a single teacup in there. She'd tried to explain to the woman that this was a waste of water, but her response had been 'But there's plenty of water, silly! Like, it even falls from the sky!' Of course, this had only been after she tried to verbally communicate yet again, and quite frankly even after writing it down Liena just didn't have the patience to correct her.

As Liena stepped into the living room, she noticed small spots of red pressed into the carpet… leading directly to the sofa her mother was sitting on. Liena frowned and headed over, only to confirm her suspicion: her mother had nicked her foot on a piece of glass and hadn't even noticed. She gestured to catch her mom's attention, but she was so focused on the television that she didn't notice. Liena grit her teeth and rather forcefully grabbed her mother's shoulder and shook her.

"L-Liena!" Leni scolded. "Don't-" Her daughter pointed angrily at her foot and she looked down, noticing the cut. "O-oh my gosh...!" She gasped. As she tried to get up, Liena pushed her back down.

 _ **"NO!"**_ Liena barked in a guttural, unsteady voice. She pointed towards herself again, and this time Leni didn't fight it. She simply nodded sadly, averting her eyes from her daughter. Liena sighed as she went to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit. She'd gotten mad again… but how could she not? Her mother was too careless for her own good. She had no idea how she could cut her foot like that and not notice.

She returned to the living room to find her mother thankfully sitting in the same spot, as she had instructed. Liena frowned as she noticed the sad expression on her face; she looked as though she were about to cry, and certainly not from the cut. Liena sat down beside her mom and motioned for her to put her foot in her lap. Leni gave a small nod and did so, letting her daughter disinfect and bandage the wound. It wasn't a deep cut, thankfully… just a small nick. Leni gave her daughter a sad smile.

(Thank you.) She signed. Liena nodded and got to her feet. She'd need to clean the blood out of the carpet, after all. She could only hope she wouldn't have to bleach it.

Thankfully, she didn't; all it took was some hard scrubbing with detergent to wash it out. Liena made her way to the laundry room and put the hand towel with the rest of the laundry she'd have to clean later. With that, she headed back to the living room. Leni was still sitting there, but she wasn't looking at the television… she looked downcast, with her hands folded in her lap. Liena couldn't help but feel guilty at having snapped at her like that. It wasn't that Leni didn't know of her own shortcomings… in fact, she understood perhaps better than anyone. No matter how hard she tried to be the mother Liena needed, time and time again she failed. It had been so much easier when Lincoln was around; he'd been able to care for both of them in a way Leni could never hope to match. But instead, all Leni could do was try, fail, and apologize. An endless cycle. Liena sat down beside her, but rather than scold her further she simply gave her mother a gentle hug… one that Leni was more than happy to return.

(I'm sorry.) Liena signed as they broke the hug. She would have added that she shouldn't have yelled, but she knew her mother wouldn't understand. Nonetheless, Leni smiled.

(I'm an yes.) She signed back. Liena could only assume she meant to say 'it's okay' or 'me too', but in any case she was satisfied with that. She leaned back into the couch and turned her attention towards the TV; her mother was watching some sort of fashion show. But now that her daughter was watching with her, the kind woman switched the channel to the Food Network… even remembering to turn on closed captions for once. Leni tapped her shoulder to get her attention before signing (I love you.) Again, one of the few statements she remembered.

Liena's smile faltered for a brief moment. Despite everything, she did love her mother more than she could ever express. She was the kindest person she knew, and Liena was grateful for everything she did for her.

But still… no matter how hard her mother tried, it could never make up for the loss of her father.

(I know.)


	3. What He'd Been Missing

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Right, well. This one requires some clarification.  
**

 **This particular short is a non-canon spin-off of sorts of What She'd Been Missing. Let me stress: NON-CANON. It's simply an idea that came to me one day and I just had to write it. If you don't read What She'd Been Missing, this one may be a bit hard to understand, but to clarify: the Bobby in this story is the son of Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, named after his late uncle. Or, as he's come to be known within the sin kids fandom, "Bobby Jr." or "BJ".  
**

 **Also, despite many shorts being finished they still need to be properly formatted and edited, so I'll be doing that as I have time for it. Anyway, here we go...**

 **...Non-canon. Remember that.**

* * *

 **What He'd Been Missing**

It was a gloomy day in Hazeltucky, Michigan. Dark clouds hung over the sky, and yet it wasn't raining… at least, not yet. Sooner or later, Lincoln assumed, the sky would make good on its threat.

Lincoln looked over at his son, Robert… or Bobby, as he preferred to be called. The seventeen-year-old sat silently, staring out the window with a morose expression… though Lincoln knew that it had nothing to do with the dreary weather. It was the same expression he always wore, at least since that horrible day a year ago. Lincoln sighed, focusing his attention back on the road.

"Where are we going?" Bobby asked quietly, the first words his father had heard him say since they got in the car.

"…It's a surprise." Lincoln said. Bobby just gave a small grunt of acknowledgement. Quite frankly, he didn't really care… whatever his father had planned would surely do nothing to improve his mood.

It had been just over a year since the boy's life went to hell. He and Loan had managed to keep their relationship secret for quite some time… but that had all changed once she became pregnant with his child. They'd tried to bluff their way out of it, to claim that Loan had simply hooked up with some guy online, but it was no use; eventually, the truth came out. Unsurprisingly, his mother Ronnie had _not_ taken it well. Bobby considered it a small miracle that she didn't kill Loan right then and there… instead, she had given the girl an ultimatum. Either get out of her house and never speak to them again, or she would call the police. Bobby, meanwhile, found himself confined to his room for months, stripped of his phone, computer, consoles, anything that could _possibly_ be used to contact his sister. He hadn't even been able to say goodbye.

They came to a red light, and Lincoln glanced over at his son again. He'd never truly understood what it meant to be heartbroken, but there was no doubt in his mind that Bobby did. He'd always been a quiet and withdrawn boy, but ever since Loan had been taken from him he'd been a shell of his former self. He rarely spoke. He never left his room unless he had to. Lincoln no longer heard the familiar sounds of his sci-fi films or video games from his room. He was simply… _numb_. Only Lincoln kept in contact with Loan; his wife didn't approve, but he had laid down the law on the matter. He was _not_ going to abandon his daughter, no matter what she had done. For her part, she was barely faring better than her brother. Still, she forced herself to be strong for the sake of her child, and despite the situation Lincoln couldn't help but feel proud of her for that.

"Is it going to be a long drive?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah."

"…I'm going to sleep, then." Bobby muttered, shifting into a comfortable position and shutting his eyes. Lincoln frowned. It seemed like Bobby didn't do much _besides_ sleep these days. The boy was a wreck; he had grown gaunt and pale, his grades were slipping… it went without saying that both his parents were worried about him. Ronnie had wanted to get him counseling, but he wouldn't , however, things would be different. Admittedly, Lincoln wasn't completely comfortable with what he was about to do… if Ronnie found out, she'd no doubt be beyond furious with him. But Bobby needed this. _Loan_ needed this. And perhaps, at some level… Lincoln needed this too.

* * *

"Bobby. Bobby, we're here." Lincoln said, shaking his son's shoulder. Bobby shifted and grumbled under his breath.

"…No."

"Bobby." His father repeated in a stern tone. "Get _up_." Bobby sighed and opened his eyes; he rubbed at them, then blinked a few times as he re-adjusted to the light. He glanced around, finding that they had parked in an unfamiliar area… an apartment complex he had never seen before.

"Where are we…?"

"You'll see," Lincoln said as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Come on." Bobby huffed and did the same.

The boy felt a bit unsteady on his feet as he got out of the car. They must have been driving for a while, and the clear skies above told him that wherever they were, it sure as hell wasn't Hazeltucky.

"This way."

"…Sure. Whatever." Bobby muttered, following his father towards one of the apartment buildings. He had no idea what they could possibly be doing _here_ of all places, but he thought it best not to question it… it wasn't like it mattered, anyway. Nothing did. They made their way past the apartments before stopping at number 105.

"We're here." Lincoln said. Bobby couldn't help but notice that the man seemed slightly hesitant. He couldn't imagine why, nor did he particularly care. Quite frankly, he just wanted to go back home and sleep. "Lincoln took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"C-coming…!" A feminine voice cried from the other side. Bobby's brow furrowed. It was a familiar voice… _very_ familiar. But there was no way it was possible… right? A moment later, Bobby heard the telltale sound of a door being unlocked. It opened slightly, only to catch on the latch. "S-sorry, hang on…" The voice said sheepishly, shutting the door again to unlatch it. Then, the door swung open, and Bobby's heart stopped in an instant. There she was… slightly more worn and haggard than when he'd seen her last, yet just as beautiful as he remembered. His sister… the love of his life.

Loan.

She looked at him with an expression he couldn't quite describe… she didn't seem surprised to see him, and Bobby realized that his father must have set this up with her ahead of time. She did, however, look completely overwhelmed at seeing him again. Bobby felt no different.

"H-h-hey, Bobby…" Loan stammered, a nervous smile plastered across her face.

"…Loan." Bobby managed to gasp out in disbelief.

"It's, um…" Loan fidgeted awkwardly, averting her eyes from her little brother. "…It's been a while…" Bobby swallowed and gave a small nod. She looked up again, her blue eyes meeting his. They were beginning to brim with tears; so were his.

The two lovers dove into each other's arms. Bobby threaded his fingers through his big sister's hair, pulling her as tightly against him as he could; she returned in kind, clutching him hard enough that her nails were digging into him. He didn't care. He could finally feel her against him again. He could finally feel that warmth that had been missing from his life for over a year.

"Oh God, Bobby…" Loan sobbed. "I-it's you… it's really you…" Her brother silently nodded. Part of him still couldn't believe it, but he could feel her. He could smell her. This was real.

The two broke away from their embrace for just a moment before leaning into a passionate kiss. Lincoln couldn't help but grimace and turn away from the sight… quite frankly, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about this. Part of him was disgusted, and yet underneath that he felt… happy for them.

"D-dad…" His son stammered as the two broke their kiss. "You…"

"I'm… not going to pretend I approve of this." Lincoln sighed. "But I know this is… it is what it is. It's not like what happened with Lori. You really do love each other, don't you?" Bobby sniffled and nodded.

"We do."

Lincoln frowned, giving a small nod of acknowledgement. "…You're not a child anymore, Bobby. If this is really what you want, there's nothing I can do to stop it." Lincoln glanced over at his daughter; tears of joy were still streaming from her eyes, and she tried in vain to stem the flow with her sleeve. "It's not right to force you apart. Ronnie may not agree, but the way I see it… you're going to be a man in a year's time, and whether we like it or not you're going to do what you're going to do. So I guess… I dunno." Lincoln huffed, scratching the back of his head. "You don't have my blessings, but I want you to be happy however you see fit." A shaky smile crossed Bobby's face, and he wrapped his father in a tight hug.

"Thank you…" He muttered under his breath. Lincoln smirked and returned his son's embrace. Noticing Loan shuffling awkwardly, he let out a small chuckle and motioned her over.

"Okay… you too. C'mere." Loan smiled and joined the hug. Whatever doubts Lincoln may have had about the situation were immediately pushed to the side; for the first time in over a year, his kids were happy again. Even if he didn't understand it, he would accept it and love them all the same. "Alright, alright… " Lincoln said as he pulled away from the group hug. "I'll be back in three hours. You… enjoy yourselves, okay?" Loan nodded, taking hold of her brother's hand.

"…Thank you, dad…" Loan sniffled, before glancing over at her brother. "Um… come inside?"

"Yeah…" Bobby said as Loan led him into her apartment. Lincoln sighed softly and began walking back to his car. He wasn't sure how he was going to keep these visits secret from Ronnie, but he'd figure something out.

Well… he'd _try_ , at least.

* * *

"U-um… how have you been…?" Loan asked. It was almost a silly thing to ask, given the situation… but there was so much she wanted to say that she wasn't sure where to begin.

"Not, ah… not great…" Bobby admitted. Loan frowned.

"…Me either." She muttered. "B-but… I think I'll be okay now." The two siblings shared a smile before leaning in for another embrace. "I… I missed you so much…"

"I missed you too," He said.

"You… you got taller again." Loan noted. "…I like it." She added as faint blush crossed her face. Bobby's face heated up as well, and he gave a small, bashful laugh.

"I, uh… I am becoming a man, after all." He said. Loan giggled, throwing her arms around the boy's neck.

"You always were." The woman said, giving him another kiss on the lips. Bobby would have returned it in kind, but she let go. "Oh, um… w-wait here. There's… someone you need to meet." She quickly scurried off down the hall, and Bobby had to force himself not to stop her… as though she may simply disappear the moment she was out of sight.

Then, he remembered: there was more to this than just Loan. The faint cries coming from deeper in the apartment confirmed his suspicion; as his lover came back with a small bundle nestled in her arms, Bobby felt his stomach twisting into knots.

"Shh, shh…" Loan gently shushed the fussy child before glancing up at her brother with an apologetic look in her eyes. "S-sorry… I just woke her up from her nap. I would have let her sleep, but… you know…" She gave a nervous laugh. Bobby swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. He'd never so much as laid eyes on his child before… hell, he'd never even been told whether she were a boy or girl. And now, here she was. The tightness in his chest grew with every step Loan took towards him. "Shh… it's okay, sweetie… it's your daddy. See?" Loan cooed, gently pushing aside the infant's swaddle so she could see.

Time seemed to stop as the seventeen-year-old laid eyes on his daughter for the first time. She was fair-skinned, with faint black hair just starting to come in; he could also make out the faintest hint of freckles dotting her cheeks, which would no doubt darken as she got older. And then, as the child's cries faded into whimpers and her eyelids fluttered open, he saw them: the most beautiful blue eyes he'd ever seen.

"Would you like to hold her…?" Loan asked, snapping her brother from his daze.

"U-u-uh… I, um…" Bobby sputtered. "I-I don't… really know how." Loan giggled.

It's easy… here." She handed off the child to him. "There… use your elbow to support the head, and then put your other arm… there, see? You've got it." Loan smiled brightly at the sight of her nervous boyfriend cradling his child. For his part, Bobby wasn't sure exactly how he should feel. Nothing could have prepared him for this… hell, even if he'd _known_ this was going to happen he wouldn't have been ready. As he looked down at his daughter he saw her face scrunch up again, and she began whining.

"O-oh geeze… c'mon, don't do that…" Bobby winced as the infant started to cry, and looked up at his sister for help. Loan, however, just snickered into her palm.

"It's alright. Come… sit down." Loan led him to the couch and he carefully sat down, not wanting to upset the child any further. "Just rock her a bit. She likes it."

"Er… rock her. Right…" Bobby began slowly rocking the girl back and forth, trying his best to imitate what he'd seen aunt Lily do with her own newborn a few years back. Once again, the child's cries began to subside.

"See? You're a natural." Loan smiled warmly.

"Okay… this isn't too hard," He said, an uneasy grin crossing his face. "What'd, uh… what'd you name her…?"

"Oh!" Loan gasped. "That's right… um… R-Roberta." Bobby's eyebrows rose slightly, and Loan looked downcast. "S-sorry… I guess you didn't have any say in it, huh…"

"No… no, that's fine. Roberta Loud. Little… little Robbie..." Bobby chuckled. He looked down at his daughter, finding her staring up at him curiously. "It's perfect. She's… she's perfect." He gave the girl a gentle tickle on her stomach, earning him a giggle and the most heart-melting smile he'd ever seen.

"I… I think she likes you." Loan whispered. Bobby nodded, and as Robbie's tiny hand grasped his finger he realized something: he loved this child more than he'd loved anything before.

"I, um…" Bobby sniffled, trying in vain to fight back tears for the second time that day. "...I-I like her too."


	4. Zombieverse

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **This one requires some explanation. A while back, some content creators within the fandom were playing around with the concept of a zombie survival AU. As you would expect, the scenario involves the kids, led by Lyra, trying to survive in a post-outbreak world as they search for their remaining family... not to mention civilization,** **if such a thing even exists anymore. I'm not normally a fan of AUs such as these, but** **I AM a fan of making people very sad.**

 **But there's an even darker side to all this. In the new world, the undead are far from the greatest threat: it's the survivors you need to watch out for. In the post-outbreak world many have become desperate, willing to do whatever must be done to survive... no matter what. The kids are no different. Under the increasingly brutal leadership of Lyra, even the most kind-hearted among them have become cold and hardened. They've lost too much not to. They've been scarred, many in both senses of the term, and young Bobby Loud is no different. His body, horribly burnt and disfigured. His mind, fractured perhaps beyond repair. His trauma has left him unstable, delusional, and, perhaps worst of all, unpredictable.  
**

 **Keep in mind that, while I've rearranged these into chronological order, this is far from a complete story. These were all shorts, after all, so there will be gaps in events, not to mention a lack of any sort of conclusion. Perhaps I'll return to this setting, possibly even in a long-form story. But for now:**

 **Well... I'd say 'please enjoy', but let's face it. The zombieverse is not meant to be 'enjoyed.'**

* * *

 **Never Again**

"Watch your back."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Lemy muttered. He tugged his hatchet from the now-dead zombie before him and wheeled around, burying it in the head of the one creeping up behind him. He'd known it was there, of course… between the slow movement and groaning, it was hard NOT to. "You could have helped, you know." He glared at his sister, who was sitting nonchalantly on one of the cafeteria tables and watching with disinterest. Lupa simply shrugged.

"You had it under control." She said flatly. "Besides, if worst comes to worst, I figure you'd make a pretty good zombie." Lemy rolled his eyes and got to work dispatching the last few undead. Lupa had to admit, he'd gotten quite good at dealing with the horde in the three months since the outbreak began… quite frankly, she'd never have expected it from the bumbling metalhead. Then again, she supposed the outbreak had changed _all_ of them in one way or another.

"I think that's the last of them," Lemy said as he wiped the sweat from his brow. They had gotten lucky; the school was not nearly as overrun as they would have expected. Judging by the number of bodies strewn about, he could only assume the survivors that had been holed up there before managed to kill a good chunk of the horde before being overwhelmed.

"Took you long enough." Lupa said with a huff, hopping down from the table. "C'mon. Let's check the kitchen." Lemy nodded, wearing a deep frown as he took one last glance around the cafeteria. It felt weird, seeing it like this… he could only think of how things _used_ to be. He'd never liked school, but now he would give anything to go back to the daily grind. He really wished that Lyra had picked someone _else_ to search Royal Woods Elementary for supplies, but it wasn't like he had any say in the matter.

"Lemy. Come _on_." Lupa repeated.

"R-right…" Lemy sighed, holstering his axe and following his sister into the kitchen. "Don't know why we're bothering… this shit is barely food."

"Can't be picky," Said the goth. "Just look for canned stuff. Anything non-perishable."

"I know what to do, Lupa." Lemy scoffed. The two siblings gathered food in silence. It was sad that so many survivors had fallen here… they'd even spotted more than a few familiar faces amongst the dead. But that also meant that the school was still rich in supplies, which would no doubt please Lyra.

"Guess that's everything…" Lupa muttered, giving her satchel a little shake.

"Too bad it's mostly beans though…" Lemy grumbled. "Looks like we're getting hotboxed again tonight." His sister let out a small chuckle; as they'd learned over the past few months, a large group plus small quarters plus beans meant they were in for a bad time. The two made their way back out to the cafeteria.

"So, where to ne-" Lupa froze mid-stride, her eyes going wide. She sniffed at the air like a bloodhound, then her attention snapped to one of the dead zombies sprawled out on the floor.

"Lu'…? You alright?" Lupa bolted right towards it, immediately dropping to her knees and fishing through the corpse's pockets. She barely suppressed a squeal of delight as she found her prize: a carton of cigarettes. She flicked it open, finding that it was still mostly full.

 _"Yessss."_

"For fuck's sake, Lupa…" Her brother groaned. "You're really gonna take that off a zombie? It's probably, like… _contaminated_ or somethin'. And y'know Lyra doesn't want you smoking."

"I'll risk it. And Lyra can bite my freckled ass, I _need_ this." She wasted no time putting one of the cigs in her mouth and lighting it, taking a long drag. "Fuck yeah… that hits the spot," She moaned as she blew a large plume of smoke.

"Alright, alright… c'mon. Let's get moving." Lemy grunted with a roll of his eyes. "Pretty sure we've checked everywhere worth looking. Besides, we can't carry much more."

"We haven't checked the sports fields." Lupa said. "I bet the equipment shed has plenty of shit we can use."

"Good thinking," Lemy agreed. Baseball bats made for excellent weapons, and even hockey sticks and the like could be useful once he'd modified them a bit. As they walked through the empty school halls. Lemy couldn't help but glance at his sister. On the surface, she didn't seem to have changed much… she was still the deadpan, morose girl he'd always known. She even still cracked the occasional morbid joke. Perhaps it was due to how many zombie films she'd watched over the years, or maybe it was because she'd never cared much for the world in the first place. Still, Lemy knew her well, and he could tell that underneath her disinterested façade she had become a far colder person than she had been. She was one of the few to not question Lyra's increasingly severe orders, after all.

The school grounds were mostly free of zombies; or at least, they were too far away for the two to worry about right now. They hurried towards the equipment shack and found that, thankfully, the lock had already been busted open. Lupa drew her handgun.

"Keep your eyes peeled… someone may still be hiding in here." The goth warned. "Remember-"

"Trust no one. I know, Lupa." Lemy said. They slipped inside, glancing around with their weapons at the ready. Empty. With a sigh of relief, they holstered their weapons and began the search.

"Shit… this is a fucking treasure trove," Lupa muttered. Indeed, there were plenty of supplies… far more than they could hope to carry. There were bats, hockey sticks, and even bundles of rope; hell, even the football gear could make for some excellent protection against zombie and human alike.

Then, while Lemy was searching one of the equipment lockers, he heard it: the familiar groan of a zombie, accompanied by a metallic banging... and it was _close_. Lemy quickly drew his axe and turned, only to find nothing there. The boy's eyes narrowed as he scanned for the source of the noise, before realizing it was coming from another nearby locker. Judging from the specks of blood leading to it, it was clear what had happened… some poor bastard must have been wounded and hid in the locker, only to perish and ultimately turn into a zombie. In any case, it didn't seem that it could get out. Lemy frowned. He could leave well enough alone, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for the creature. He wondered if they were truly as brain-dead as they appeared, or if, perhaps, at some level they were aware of their plight. It was a thought that had haunted him since the outbreak began.

The boy sighed, tightening his grip on his hatchet. He knew it wasn't worth risking it, but he figured he should end its suffering… besides, it was only one. He could handle it, no problem. Lemy readied his axe, carefully reaching for the door handle. He took a deep breath to focus himself. At this distance, he had to make sure he hit his mark. Without further hesitation, he threw open the door and swung down his axe…

…Only to freeze mid-swing.

Lemy's blood ran cold, his eyes widening at the disheveled creature before him: dark, mottled skin. Dreadlocks tied back into a messy ponytail. Dead eyes, and a visible bite mark on his forearm.

It was Gordon… his best friend

He'd gotten himself wedged in the narrow locker, and grasped in vain at the meal standing before him. Even as the horrible thing's fingertips grazed his nose, Lemy remained frozen in horror. He'd always known that his friend could very well have died, but to see it himself was too much for him to handle; he looked fresh, too. He couldn't have turned more than a few days ago. If only they'd checked the school earlier, Lemy could have saved him.

Finally, 'Gordon's' struggles bore fruit and it began to slip free from its prison. Still, Lemy didn't move. Nor did he move when his former friend grabbed him, nor when it bared its teeth and lurched forward. The zombie's teeth were barely an inch away from the boy when a single gunshot rang out. Dark blood splattered against Lemy's face and the creature fell to the ground; thankfully, none landed in his open mouth. Lemy stared down at his fallen friend in silence, then glanced to the other end of the shack.

Lupa stood with her pistol in her hand, a faint wisp of smoke drifting from the barrel. She had a wild look in her eyes, and Lemy couldn't tell if she was angry or scared… both, perhaps. Her glare snapped from the dead zombie to her blood-spattered brother.

"What the _fuck_ are you _doing?!_ " She hissed. Lemy didn't answer; he simply glanced back down at his closest friend, or at least what _used_ to be his closest friend.

"G-Gordon…" He stammered. Lupa's teeth clenched in rage and she strode over to her brother, grabbing him by the wrist.

"We need to _go,"_ She snarled. "Every zombie on the grounds will have heard that."

"I-"

" _Come on!"_ Lupa snapped, forcefully dragging the shaken boy out of the shed. Sure enough, a large number of zombies had begun advancing towards the building. "Shit…" Lupa hissed. She broke into a run, pulling Lemy behind her. He was still in a daze, and blindly followed, not even reacting as they narrowly slipped between several zombies. By the time they'd gotten a safe distance away, they were both out of breath and dripping with sweat. Lemy leant against a tree, letting his pounding heart settle a bit. He glanced up at Lupa, only to immediately be met with a hard slap across his face.

" _What is wrong with you?!"_ The girl was quaking with rage, her hazel eyes piercing through him like never before. Lemy rubbed his stinging cheek and averted his eyes from his sister.

"I-it was Gor-" Lemy was cut off by another slap, to his right cheek this time.

" _It was a zombie!"_ Lupa screamed. "He was _dead,_ Lemy! That _thing_ was not your friend!" Lemy's face scrunched up in shame. "You… you just stood there… you nearly _died,_ you _fucking idiot!"_

"I-I didn't-"

"We can't hesitate, Lemy! We can't have _mercy!_ Don't you understand that?!" Lupa's voice was growing unsteady. "W-we can't…! We can't end up like…" She trailed off, her face twisting in pain. "…Like dad. Not… not you too." Lemy winced. He'd never seen Lupa so furious before, and he knew she was right… he'd let his emotions get the better of him. If she hadn't been there, that would have been it for him. He forced himself to look at his sister; she was staring off to the side, her eyes clearly glistening with tears. For someone like Lupa, who closed herself off to even her closest siblings, it was an unprecedented sight. Lemy felt a pit in his stomach.

Slowly, he reached out and hugged the girl. For the first time he could recall, she didn't try to pull away, though she didn't return it either.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. "It… it won't happen again." Lupa simply sniffed and nodded.

"…It better not." She muttered, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Let's go."

"…Yeah." Lemy said as he let go of his sister. There was an uncomfortable silence between the two as they made their way back to the safehouse. Lemy couldn't help but notice that Lupa kept one hand on her gun the entire time; thankfully, she didn't need to use it. The two paused for a moment outside the convenience store. "…Lupa," Lemy said. "I really am sorry. I-"

"It's fine." Lupa sighed. "Sorry I hit you."

"You hit me all the time, though." That one earned him a small chuckle from the girl.

"Well… you know." She said with a shrug. "Anyway, I won't tell Lyra this time. _This_ time." Lupa warned. Lemy swallowed and nodded.

"Like I said…" Lemy assured her as he knocked on the door: three solid thumps followed by two lighter ones, as was their code. "Never again."

* * *

 **Threat Incapacitated**

It had been nearly a year since the outbreak. It had come suddenly, without warning… those in high-density areas, particularly those living in cities, had suffered the most casualties. One or two zombie s were no problem… hell, even a _group_ of them provided little issue, unless you were some sort of idiot. But in large numbers? That was a different matter. All it took was one bite, and you were fucked.

But Bryson was one of the lucky ones. For the first time, he had been glad to live in the outskirts of the city… as soon as the scope of the outbreak became clear, he had wasted no time in gathering supplies and fleeing. While many had opted to flee towards other cities for protection, Bryson had a different plan: stay off the grid. Keep to rural wooded areas where there would be less people and, therefore, less zombies. Which isn't to say he hadn't run into problems along the way. As bad as the zombie s were, the _real_ threat were other survivors. Many had become desperate for survival, willingly killing and stealing from others without hesitation. Others were far more reasonable, but unfortunately for them Bryson fell into the _former_ category. He was more than willing to earn a group's trust and then, when they least expected it, butcher them without mercy. He knew this was harsh, but it was the only reason he had been able to survive thus far. Besides, he'd always been a loner.

Bryson was not a particularly strong man, but he was clever, deceptive and, above all else, patient. He always waited until the time was right before making his move. And now, he had discovered quite possibly his greatest find yet: a car. An honest to God, fully functional car. Once again, fortune had shined upon the middle-aged man. That said, there was a small issue… a _very_ small issue, in fact. Bryson was not the first person here: a young boy made his way in and out of the auto repair shop, carrying out supplies and packing them into the car. He would be easy enough to deal with, of course, but for all Bryson knew there could be _more_ survivors inside… hell, he'd bet his life on it. He couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old; surely there was no way such a young child could have survived this long on his own.

The most unusual thing, however, was the boy's appearance. He wore a white helmet that even at a distance Bryson could tell was little more than a toy, topped with a red beacon and two antennae-like protrusions. It looked like he had a bandolier of some sort strapped across his torso, and perhaps most notably the entire right side of his body looked… wrong, to say the least. It was red and heavily scarred… perhaps he'd been burned. Either way, Bryson didn't care. He wouldn't make a move until he knew just what he was dealing with. He waited until the boy went inside again, then quickly bolted towards the building. He had gotten used to moving both quickly and quietly, and he was able to dart around the side of the building without being seen. He crept his way along to the back, looking for any way to get a handle on the situation.

His answer came in the form of a row of windows along the back wall. They were high up, perhaps fifteen feet or so, but once again lady luck favored the man: amongst the wood pallets and dumpster were several empty oil drums and a decommissioned vending machine that, combined with his considerable height, would be _just_ enough for him to peek through the windows. Even empty the oil drum was quite heavy, but he couldn't risk dragging it across the concrete… that would make far too much noise. He gently set it beside the vending machine and carefully climbed onto it. He nearly lost his footing, but was able to grab onto the vending machine for support just in the nick of time.

He let out a grunt of effort as he climbed atop the vending machine, then got to his feet and looked through the window. To his relief, there was nobody else inside… a car had been left on one of the lifts, no doubt abandoned mid-service as the mechanics fled for their lives. And now, with the boy struggling with a particularly heavy box of supplies, Bryson figured it was time to make his move.

Bryson darted around to the front of the building, ducking down behind the car and out of the boy's line of sight. Thankfully, the door had been left unlocked, and his face fell slightly as he looked inside. Though the key had been left in the ignition, there was a box strapped onto the seat and what looked to be makeshift wooden leg extensions secured to the gas and brake pedal. He could only assume that the boy had crafted these as a way to actually _drive_ the car, given his short stature. Bryson cursed under his breath; he'd have to remove them before he could make use of the car.

"Wh-who are you?" Bryson bolted upright, quickly drawing his handgun and aiming it at the intruder. It was the boy, of course… he stood a distance away, trembling and glaring right at the man. Now that he had a closer look, it was clear just how fucked up the kid actually was. Even mostly concealed by his tattered clothing, Bryson could tell that the entire right side of his body was severely burned. The crazed look in his exposed left eye left no doubt that this boy had seen some shit. "I-I said, who are you?!" The boy repeated in a demanding tone, apparently unfazed by the gun pointed at his head. "State your name, rank a-and assigned s-s-starship." Bryson cocked an eyebrow.

"The hell you on about, kid…?"

"Are y-you not with Starfleet?" The boy asked. The man's brow furrowed as he realized that the bizarre child before him was completely out of his mind. He let out a short laugh and holstered his weapon.

"…Yeah. Yeah, I am. And you are…?" He asked, figuring it best to play along with the child's nonsense for now. Besides… he had to admit it was pretty amusing.

"I-I am Second Officer Robert Loud o-of the Starship Epsilon," The boy stated. Bryson smirked. The boy had fallen right into his trap, introducing himself first so he would know the proper means of doing so. "N-now, I won't say it again," Bobby said, "State y-your name, rand a-and assigned starship!"

"Right, sorry. I'm… Captain Bryson Howard of the Starship… Detroit." Bryson said. "At ease." Bobby's eyebrow raised slightly in surprise.

"I… I have not heard of a starship by that name…" The troubled boy mumbled.

"We're, uh… we're new." Bryson said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Bobby frowned and gave a small nod.

"I-I see. My apologies, captain… one cannot be too careful in this hostile world." He said. "It would seem much h-has changed in my a-absence. A-are you s-stranded here as well?"

"Er… yeah… crashed here a few months ago. Damnedest thing." Bryson muttered. "Pretty nice ride you got here, Robert." He added, resting a hand on the car.

"…Yes, finding a craft in such condition was fortuitous indeed," Said Bobby.

"I'll bet. Anyway, I'm afraid I'm going to be… _commandeering_ this vessel," The man said with a smirk. Bobby frowned.

"I c-cannot let you do that," The boy said. "I have need of it. You are more than welcome to a-a-accompany me if you wish, but I will not relinquish o-ownership to you."

"Yeah, see, that's kind of a problem… I'm something of a loner, you see." Bryson sneered. "And I'm a captain. That means you gotta do what I say." Bobby narrowed his eye.

"…Tell me, captain." Bobby's tone grew stern. "What is your serial number?" Bryson sighed.

"Uh… 90210. Satisfied?" He scoffed. Bobby's suspicious expression suddenly shifted to a furious glare; he quickly drew the toy gun from his thigh and aimed it right at the man before him.

"That is _not_ a valid Starfleet s-serial number," Bobby hissed. "Y-you're one of THEM, aren't you?! A r-r-reptilian!"

"Well shit, ya got me." Bryson chuckled, shrugging in defeat. "Either way, I'm taking this… so be a good little boy and fuck off, alright?" But Bobby didn't budge; he flicked a small switch on the side of the toy, not taking his eye off the man for a second.

"Ph-phaser set to stun…" The boy muttered. "Step away from the craft. You have five seconds to comply." Bryson simply let out a loud, booming laugh. "…Four seconds." Bobby said.

"Uh oh, looks like someone's pissed." Bryson laughed. "What ever will I do?"

"Three seconds."

"Ooohhh, _please,_ officer! Don't shoot!" Bryson pleaded, holding up his hands in mock fear.

"Two seconds." Bobby said, ignoring the man's taunts. Bryson rolled his eyes; quite frankly, he'd played around more than enough. Now the shtick was just getting old.

"Alright, fuck it," The man huffed, reaching for his pistol. The kid was living on borrowed time as it was… may as well speed things along, right? But no sooner had his fingers touched the gun than a shot rang out, and Bryson felt a sharp pain in the left side of his chest. He looked down to see a red spot spreading across his shirt… he'd been _shot._ "Th-the _fuck…?!"_ He wheezed, his punctured lung beginning to fill with blood.

Bryson looked up to see Bobby standing there with his gun in hand, a faint wisp of smoke billowing from the barrel… and then, he spotted it. Jutting out slightly from the funnel-shaped opening was the barrel of a handgun. It wasn't a toy at all. Bobby lowered the gun slightly and pulled the trigger again; Bryson cried out in pain as the next bullet pierced straight through his knee, dropping him to the ground.

" _Shit…!"_ The man hissed, quickly reaching for his gun again, but a third shot blew off half his hand. He screamed in agony, coughing up blood from his collapsed lung.

"S-s-subject would not comply," He heard Bobby say. He looked up to find the boy walking towards, him, seemingly unfazed by what he was doing… he simply stared down at the man with the same thousand-yard gaze as before. He raised the gun again, this time pointing directly at Bryson's head. The man's eyes went wide with horror. "…Use of non-lethal force d-deemed necessary."

" _N-NO, PLE-"_ Bryson was silenced by a single shot through the forehead, spattering Bobby's shirt and face with blood. He didn't seem to notice, or care… he simply watched with a stoic expression as the man slumped over, dead.

"…Threat has b-been incapacitated." Bobby muttered. Then, Bryson's body twitched; the child let out a frightened yelp and emptied the rest of the clip into the dead man's head, reducing it to little more than a scrambled mess of blood, flesh and chunks of brain. He stood breathing heavily as the body finally went still. Bobby swallowed, taking a moment to compose himself before fishing out his tape recorder from his pocket. "O-officer's Log… s-s-stardate 4503.2. Encountered a hostile native of th-this world… use of non-lethal f-force was deemed necessary. An entire p-power cell was needed to stun target… either reptilians have g-grown resistant to nadion particles, or my ph-phaser is in need of re-calibration. For now, I am resuming the mission. S-second Officer Robert Loud, signing off." Bobby stopped recording and looked down at the corpse lying before him. "D-do not worry… the immobilization should w-wear off within the hour."

And with that, Bobby resumed loading his supplies into the car. It didn't register within Bobby's mind at all that he had just brutally killed a man: all he saw lying there was a stunned reptilian. He didn't notice that the man's body had begun to attract flies, nor the giant pool of blood spreading out from beneath it… not even when he stepped through the puddle as he got into the car. After all, he was a proud officer of Starfleet… he would never use lethal force unless there was absolutely no other option.

Bobby got into the car, strapping himself into his self-made 'piloting frame'. He turned the key and, once the engine had revved to life, drove off; after all, he couldn't waste any more time than he already had.

The mothership was out there somewhere, waiting for him.

* * *

 **Reminders**

Lyra wore a cold expression as she looked down at the corpse lying before her. It was a young girl, at least as young as Lyra herself if not younger. Lyra had put her down herself with a single shot to the forehead… a quick and painless death, not that it made her feel any better about it. She was used to pleas for mercy, but usually for one's own life; this girl, however, had begged for the lives of the rest of her group instead. Of course, it had been too late… they'd already dealt with the others by then, or at least the ones they'd found thus far. Still, the girl's selflessness had almost been enough for Lyra to consider sparing her…

…Almost.

It was harsh, but such was the nature of the new world. The family had to come first, no matter what. No exceptions. As much as each kill ate away at her, she had to put on a mask of stoicism for the sake of the others. Besides… this department store was far too good of a stronghold to pass up. They could easily hold out for a few months, at the very least.

"Damn, lookit all this shit!" Lemy exclaimed as he looked over the supplies the unfortunate survivors had gathered. "Pretty good haul, huh?"

"Lemy. Don't drop your guard." Lyra scolded. "There still might be others in hiding." Lemy frowned and nodded; she wasn't wrong. The department store was massive, and there could very well be stragglers lurking about.

"Right, so… should we have a look around?" Lemy asked. His older sister nodded.

"Lupa, come here." She ordered; Lupa came and joined by Lemy's side.

"'Sup, boss lady?" She asked nonchalantly. Lyra frowned, but figured there was little point in correcting the girl's informal demeanor.

"You two sweep the west side of the store." Lyra said. "…That's _that_ way," She clarified for the sake of her younger brother.

"Got it." Without another word, the two were off, and Lyra turned towards the others.

"Loan, you and Lacy search the east side. And bring that... _mutt_ of yours with you," She told Loan, gesturing dismissively to the young boy by her side. "Be sure to keep him on a short leash, you understand?"

"…Sure." Loan said with a scowl; she knew better than to snap at Lyra when she was on edge like this. "Come on, Bobby."

"Yes ma'am." The delusional boy said with a salute before following his two sisters east. Lyra sighed.

"Lyle, you find a high spot and keep an eye out for trouble. Liena, Liby, you two sort through the supplies… we need a handle on what we've got. Bed-" It was now that Lyra noticed her adopted cousin was already gone. In any case, she knew what her job was… same as ever. "…The rest of you set up a perimeter, just in case anyone tries to get the jump on us." Her siblings voiced their understanding before heading off to their respective tasks.

"What about me...?" A small voice asked from nearby; it was Lizy, of course. Lyra offered her a gentle smile and beckoned her over.

"Come here, Lizy. Stay close to me." She said. Lizy nodded and walked to her big sister's side. She clung to her Lyra's pant leg and stared at the corpse before her in fear. Among all her siblings, Lizy was the one that Lyra felt the worst about… she was far too young and innocent to be exposed to such a cruel world. Lulu was a baby, yes, but she was also a… _whatever_ she was. And, unlike Lizy, she seemed more than comfortable with the carnage that surrounded her. "Lizy…" Lyra said softly, kneeling down and placing a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "You remember what I told you, right?" Lizy swallowed and nodded before closing her remaining eye.

"D-don't look."

"Good girl." Lyra gently ruffled Lizy's hair, earning a giggle from the young girl. "And don't be afraid. She's not going to come back."

"…Okay." Lizy said. Lyra began to search the girl's body, finding some medical supplies, a few protein bars, and a holstered knife concealed beneath her jacket; the latter only further reinforced that killing her had been the right choice. Granted, the knife could very well have been intended for non-violent purposes, but that wasn't a chance she was willing to take.

"Lizy, are you hungry?" Lyra asked. Lizy's face lit up and she gave an eager nod. Her big sister smiled and gave her one of the protein bars.

"Thank you, Lyra!" Lizy said cheerfully before tearing open the foil and ravenously devouring the protein bar. She hated these things, but right now she was too hungry to care. Food was sparse in the post-outbreak world, and even the most bland and unpleasant sustenance was better than nothing at all. As for the rest of the bars, they would be rationed out just like everything else… even with their newfound stockpile, they couldn't afford to be careless with their food.

Then, a loud scream of agony rang out from the east end of the store, drawing the attention of Lyra and the others. It sounded like a boy's voice, but not Bobby's… she could only assume that they had found a survivor and dealt with them as instructed. Lyra let out a sigh as she returned to the task at hand. Besides the knife, there was little the girl had to offer. She had a wallet, but of course money was useless now. There was, however, a photo of the girl smiling with an older man and woman… her parents, perhaps. Lyra frowned as she looked at the picture. Despite everything, she could never forget that those they killed had been ordinary people, once. People with lives, families, and aspirations. Silently, she withdrew the photo from the wallet and slid it into her pocket. She'd been keeping these whenever she found them… she wasn't sure why. Perhaps as a reminder so that, should they ever find civilization, she would never forget the things she'd done to get there. Only then would there be time for remorse.

Lyra unstrapped the knife from the corpse and looked it over. It was a bit on the small side… again, most likely for utility purposes than for combat. Still, it _could_ be an effective weapon in a pinch.

"…Lizy."

"Yeth?" Lizy mumbled through a mouthful of food. Lyra chuckled and tightened the strap as much as she could.

"Here," She said as she slipped the holster over the little girl's torso. "Just in case you ever need to defend your-" Lyra began, but the holster immediately slid off Lizy's tiny frame and fell to the ground. "Er… we'll have one of the others fix that later." Lyra muttered. "Anyway, should you ever need to defend yourself, it's best that you have a weapon of your own." Lizy swallowed the rest of the protein bar before picking up the holster and drawing the knife, looking it over.

"Wow…" Lizy grinned and made a few practice thrusts like a fencer. "Yah, yah!"

" _Lizy."_ Lyra scolded, gently grabbing the girl's wrist. "A weapon is _not_ a toy." Her little sister frowned and nodded sadly.

"Sorry, Lyra…" Lizy said sheepishly, putting the knife back in its sheath. Lyra took a deep breath before exhaling.

"…It's okay. I'll teach you how and _when_ to use it later." Lyra assured her. She got to her feet, looking towards the other bodies strewn about; they would all need to be searched, of course. The brunt of them were in far worse condition than the girl was, and quite frankly the last thing Lyra wanted was for Lizy to be exposed to more than she had to. "Tell you what, Lizy. How would you like to help Libyand Liena? I bet they could use an extra pair of hands."

"Sure!" Lizy said cheerfully, apparently delighted by the opportunity to help out for a change. Lyra smirked and offered the girl her hand, which she gladly accepted. As she led Lizy towards their two older sisters, Lyra couldn't help but look back at the dead girl slumped over on the ground. It wasn't easy, doing the things they did… and she certainly had her doubts, even if she never showed them. But the little girl clutching her hand served as a reminder of _why_ things had to be this way. They had to survive not only for Lizy's sake, but for the sake of the others as well.

Even if she had to become a monster to do it.

* * *

 **I Remember**

"Keep an eye out, Bobby." Loan warned as they searched the aisles for survivors with Lacy in tow. "Be on your guard."

"I'm a-always on my guard, Commander." Bobby replied. "…But thank you for your concern." The woman frowned and nodded. Bobby wasn't sure why his superior was always so worried about him… he was a second officer, after all. He'd hoped that he would have proven himself capable by now.

"D'you think there's anyone left…?" Lacy asked.

"Reptilians are adept at h-hiding, Officer… often in plain sight." Bobby said, narrowing his good eye. "…And often closer than you think."

"R-right… I'll, uh, keep that in mind." Lacy stammered.

"Y-you would do well to. Be wary of everyone… even me."

"Alright, enough of that." Loan groaned. "We're looking for survivors, remember. Keep your voices down."

"…My apologies, Commander." Bobby said quietly, flipping up his visor to better keep watch over his surroundings. He kept his 'phaser' at the ready as he and his sisters searched the aisles one after another. The structure was unusual, to say the least… the others seemed to think it was a store of some sort, but Bobby wasn't so sure. Such an excessive marketplace seemed unusual for a barbaric species like the reptilians, but then again there was much about the race that he had yet to understand. Their hostile nature made it difficult to study them, but if they could mimic humans so convincingly it stood to reason they had _some_ manner of culture.

Bobby froze in place as he heard something: some sort of faint metallic _clunk_ from somewhere nearby. He turned to search for the source of the noise. It was then that he noticed a door on the back wall, hanging slightly ajar… he mentally cursed himself for not having noticed it before. He and the others had been so focused on the aisles that they hadn't thought to check along the wall. His sisters didn't seem to notice the sound either, as they kept walking onwards. Bobby was about to call after them, but he stopped himself; neither of the two were equipped with a phaser. The most they could do was beat the creature to death, but Bobby's method was far more humane. He could harmlessly stun it and remove it from the premises. Yes… it would be best for him to handle the matter himself.

Bobby strode to the door and paused outside it, listening through the gap to see if he could hear anything. It was silent. He carefully pushed the door open. It seemed to be a stockroom of some sort; there were dozens upon dozens of mostly cleared-out shelves, as well as several empty crates lining one corner. As he took another step inside, his foot touched something and it rolled away, making a sound similar to the one he had heard. It was a can; it must have been knocked over somehow…or by some _one._ Bobby tightly gripped his phaser as he slowly crept through the. The empty shelves granted a clear view of his surroundings, but one could never be too careful… the craftiness of reptilians was not to be underestimated.

"O-oh God, oh God, oh God…" A whisper. Bobby's focus snapped towards a row of crates and he raised his phaser.

"S-show yourself!" Bobby ordered. No response; the voice had stopped. " _Show yourself!"_ He barked again.

"O-okay! Don't shoot, I-I don't have a weapon or nothin'…!" A young voice said. A moment later, a boy slowly rose up from behind the crate with his hands up. He looked to be about Bobby's age, but taller... nonetheless, he was trembling with fear. "P-please…"

"…Are you with Starfleet?" Bobby asked, not dropping his guard for a second.

"W-what?"

" _Are you with starfleet?!"_ Bobby asked again. The boy let out a yelp of fear and cowered against the wall.

" _I-I don't know!_ I don't know, j-j-just please, don't kill me!" He whimpered. Bobby frowned, his trigger finger relaxing slightly. Not knowing of Starfleet was never a good sign, but the boy was clearly terrified… perhaps he was not a hostile after all.

"…State y-your name."

"H-Hayden…" The boy muttered. Bobby furrowed his brow; something about that name struck a chord with him.

"Are you one of them?"

"Th-them…?" He asked, clearly confused.

"A reptilian." Bobby spat. "A-a-are you one of them?"

"N-no, I'm just an ordinary kid, just like you." Hayden said; he had no idea what the heck a 'reptilian' was, but right now he didn't really care. His eyes flicked towards the barrel of Bobby's 'phaser' and he swallowed, noticing the _very_ real handgun jutting out from it. "L-look… just put the gun down, okay…?"

"I will not," Bobby said plainly. "A-and I am not a _kid_. I am Second Officer Robert Loud o-o-of the Starship Epsilon."

"Right… sure, I got you. W-whatever you… wait. _Loud?"_ The boy leaned forwards slightly, taking a closer look at his captor's face. "… _Bobby?_ Bobby Loud?!" Bobby's eye narrowed.

"…You know of me?"

"Y-yeah…. It's me, remember?" Hayden said, a hopeful smile crossing his tear-stricken face. "From school…?"

"…From Starfleet Academy…?" Bobby muttered. Hayden gave an unsure nod, and he averted his eyes for a moment to think. The name _had_ sounded familiar… and there was something about his face that seemed familiar, too.

Then, it all clicked into place. Hayden McCann, from Star… no. From elementary school. He knew this boy… quite well, in fact.

And he _hated_ him.

"Yeah…" Bobby said quietly, his low and stoic affectation fading from his voice. "…I remember."

"Then-"

"I _remember."_ He hissed, his expression twisting into a furious scowl as he strode forward, backing the larger boy against the wall. "I remember it _all_. Every time you forced me into my locker, stuffed me into the trash, dunked my head in the toilet… I remember _all_ of it! Do _you?!"_

"B-Bobby, c'mon… that was just-"

"Oh, _now_ I'm Bobby?!" The furious child snapped. " _Now_ you know my name?! Or did you mean to call me 'Dobby' again?!" Hayden's eyes flicked around rapidly, looking for some means of escape, but there was none… Bobby had him cornered.

"I-I was just messing around-"

"Do you have any idea how it feels?! How _I_ feel?!" Bobby pressed on. "Do you even _care?!"_

"Of course I do! A-and I'm sorry, okay?! I-I was a jerk, I'll admit it!" Hayden pleaded. "J-just… c'mon, buddy, y-you don't have to do this! Please don't shoot me… I swear, if you l-let me go you'll never see me again." The smaller boy glared at his former bully in silence, his nostrils flaring with anger. "Please…" After what felt like an eternity, Bobby scoffed and strapped his phaser to his leg.

"…I won't shoot you." Bobby muttered. Hayden's face lit up and he leaned away from the wall.

"Th-thank you…!" The bully gasped. "I-I promise-"

"P-people like you… aren't worth the ammo." Before Hayden could do anything to react, Bobby drew one of the knives from his bandolier and leapt forward with a cry of rage. He plunged his knife deep into the boy's chest and he let out a scream of agony as he fell to the ground with Bobby atop him. Bobby clasped his hand over Hayden's mouth to muffle his screams as he mercilessly stabbed the boy again and again, not stopping even long after he had stopped moving; it was only his knife snapping off in the boy's chest that ended his assault

Bobby remained on the dead child's chest, heart pounding and chest heaving with adrenaline. Hayden's eyes remained open, his face frozen in a mixture of terror and pain; as he looked down upon his former bully, Bobby could feel his senses slowly return to him. He looked down at the bloody handle clutched in his trembling hand in horror before tossing it aside. He had to brace himself against one of the shelves as he staggered to his feet.

"O-oh… oh no…" Bobby gasped. He'd killed someone. He'd killed someone who was begging for his life. He didn't know what had come over him. Bobby lurched forward and emptied his stomach's contents onto the floor… not that there was much to empty. "No… no no no…" The young boy whimpered, his mind reeling at what he'd just done. Bobby Loud was no killer. He was a good boy… a _gentle_ boy. He'd never hurt someone, let alone kill them. He was a good boy. Not a killer. Bobby Loud was good and not a killer and not a monster and he _didn't_ kill and he _couldn't_ kill because Bobby Loud died in that fire and now there was only Officer Robert Loud and he would never kill and he _hadn't_ killed…

…And then he was back. Officer Robert Loud took a deep breath and stood upright, his stoic demeanor returning in a matter of seconds. He wiped the blood from his visor and glanced down at the reptilian lying stunned upon the floor. Once again, he'd had no choice but to neutralize a hostile… non-lethally of course. He was, after all, a proud member of Starfleet and adhered strictly to the Prime Directive.

" _Bobby!"_ Loan shouted as she burst into the room, Lacy following close behind. "Are you-" She froze as she spotted her little brother standing a short distance away, spattered head-to-toe with blood. Bobby stood at attention and saluted her.

"Commander." He said. "A-a-a hostile has been neutral-" He was cut off by Loan rushing forward and hugging him tightly.

"D-don't you _ever_ run off like that again!"

"I-"

"Do you _understand_ me, Bobby?!" Loan cried in a near panic.

"I-I'm sorry," Bobby stammered. "I heard a noise a-a-and I thought it best to investigate."

"…O-oh my God." Lacy gasped. Loan looked towards her, then followed her gaze to a sight that sent a chill down her spine: the mutilated corpse of a child. She looked back to Bobby with a horrified expression.

"Bobby… what happened..?"

"As you can see, I came across a hostile n-native of this world," The boy explained. "Negotiations were attempted, but I ultimately had no choice but to incapacitate him." Loan looked at the corpse again; there was no weapon. There was nothing to indicate that the boy was a threat. And not only had he been killed, he'd been _brutalized…_ his entire chest had been mercilessly hacked to a bloody mess. "I-I apologize for acting of my own accord," Bobby said, snapping his sister's attention towards him. "…I will accept any punishment you d-d-deem fit."

"N-no… it's fine. Just… don't do it again." She said, to which Bobby bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Are… are you _okay,_ though?" Bobby tilted his head slightly.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Loan frowned, searching her brother's eyes for a moment before glancing over at Lacy. No words were spoken, but the look on Loan's face spoke volumes: 'Don't tell Lyra'. Lacy swallowed and nodded. They had all taken lives when ordered to do so… but this was different. This was brutal… _deliberate._ And if Lyra found out, there would be no reasoning with her.

"…Come on, Bobby." Loan said, getting to her feet and taking Bobby's hand. "Let's go."

"B-but if we don't remove the-"

"We'll deal with it later. Just… come on." She ordered. Bobby gave a reluctant nod, peeking over his shoulder at the body as his sister led him out. "Don't look," She said, giving his arm a gentle tug.

"Why-"

"Don't. Look." Loan said again. "A-and from now on, you stay close to me… okay?" Bobby frowned and let out a small sigh.

"…A-as you wish, Commander."

* * *

 **Obedience**

Lyle sat atop one of the aisle shelves, watching over the rest of his family. Even when he had a break, he'd grown accustomed to keeping a high perch; and, of course, his crossbow was ever at the ready in case a zombie were to sneak in through some unknown opening. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

He took a moment to observe the others. For the most part, things were quiet… many of the others didn't have much of anything to do right now. Lemy was tinkering away with something or other... it looked like a broken axe handle affixed with the blade of a rotary saw. Quite frankly, it seemed a bit excessive. Lizy and Lulu were playing with each other; Lyle wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not, but Lulu hadn't hurt any of them yet.

Lacy was limbering up, Liena and Liby were taking stock of their remaining supplies, Marla was trying to strap a machete to her stump to no avail, so on and so forth. Everyone was doing _something,_ if for no other reason than to keep themselves occupied, save for Bed who was nowhere to be seen as per usual. Amongst the few that were actually working was Loan, who was planning out their next supply run. And, of course, Bobby wasn't far away from her, muttering something under his breath. Lyle could only assume that he was recording one of his 'Officer's Logs'. That, or he was just conversing with himself. Quite frankly, Lyle wouldn't be surprised if he was at this point.

The boy's presence had proven troubling to Lyle for several reasons. For one, it was upsetting to see his brother in such a state. Second was the most obvious: his instability made him a potential threat to the rest of the group, especially Lyra… in fact, one of Lyle's tasks was to keep an eye on him any time he was near her. Should he ever make a move to attack, Lyle was to take him out without hesitation. That, however, led to Lyle's greatest concern. Half-blood or not, Bobby was their brother… and yet, Lyra would waste no time killing him should she deem it necessary. Hell, Lyle was pretty sure she actively _wanted_ him dead. If she would go that far with her own kin, surely she'd be more than willing to kill Bed.

Lyle had never been comfortable with Lyra's increasingly ruthless orders. In fact, he had been quite vocal about his disapproval the first time he had been told to kill a survivor. But Lyra had given him a simple, unopposable ultimatum: do as he was told, or Bed will suffer the consequences of his insubordination. The girl had proven to be the perfect pawn to keep him in line, and since then he had not questioned Lyra's orders… no matter how much he disagreed with them.

"Lyle." Speak of the devil. Lyle looked down to see Lyra standing below him. "Your turn to keep watch. Go relieve Laika and tell her to report back to me immediately."

"Yes, ma'am." Lyle quickly climbed down the shelf and headed for the maintenance area. The ladder leading to the roof was old, rickety, and quite frankly more than a little harrowing to climb, but Lyle was used to it by now. He flipped open the hatch and immediately shuddered as the ice-cold air hit him all at once. It would be winter soon, and the temperature was quickly dropping from crisp to freezing. Not that it bothered Laika, of course… the Russian had a natural disposition to the cold. "Laika," Lyle said. "I'm here to relieve you."

"Хорошо." Laika stood up and slung her rifle over her shoulder. Lyle far preferred his crossbow over actual firearms; even with a suppressor, Laika's rifle made far too much noise for his liking. Still, she was the best shot in the group after himself, so it wasn't like there was much of a choice.

"Lyra wants you to report-"

"I know this." Laika said dismissively. "Keep watch. Is quiet night." Lyle nodded, and with that Laika was off. Lyle took position at the front side of the department store, knelt down to hide behind the raised barrier of the roof, and looked out upon the surroundings. It was a simple system: ten minutes on one side, then ten minutes on another, so on and so forth in a counter-clockwise direction. Should he hear anything out of the ordinary, he would rush to that end of the roof and check things out.

Laika wasn't wrong: it _was_ a quiet night. Save for the few zombies shambling about in the distance there wasn't much else of note. Of course, the group had done what they could not to draw attention to themselves… the windows and even the entrance had all been boarded up to block out the lights from inside, and they had a strict rule to stay as quiet as possible when outside the store. Granted, a department store like this was too good of a find for any survivor to pass up, but, well… that's what Lyle was there for.

Ten minutes. Lyle moved on to the next vantage point. Here, there were a few zombie s nearing the building… not _too_ close, and Lyle could only assume they weren't aware of the fresh meat waiting inside. Still, they were too close for the boy's liking; normally he wouldn't be one to unnecessarily waste ammo, but quite frankly he had plenty of bolts to spare, and Lemy would be able to make more for him anyway.

Besides… he was kind of bored.

Three shots, dead center in each zombie's head. One by one they fell to the ground, dead. Granted, they were _already_ dead, but Lyle wasn't sure what else to call it. Re-dead? Lemy had called it 'superdead' at one point, but that was stupid.

Another ten minutes passed, and Lyle moved on. By now, the cold was starting to take its toll on the boy. He was shivering, and his lips and fingertips were growing numb; he even had to rest his crossbow atop the barrier just to hold it steady. But he wouldn't falter… he couldn't. All he had to do was last two hours. That was easy. No problem. He'd handled worse… at least it wasn't _raining_ this time. It was tempting to get up and jump around a bit, maybe run a few dozen laps around the roof's perimeter, anything to help him warm up a bit. But orders were orders: if Lyra told him to sit in the freezing cold for hours, so be it. If Lyra told him to hold position until he froze to death, so be it. Hell, if she ordered him to put a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger, he would do it. He had no other choice but to obey.

Then, he heard something amongst the silence. Had his hearing not been as well-trained as his eyesight, he would have never noticed it: faint breathing from _directly_ behind him. Lyle quickly drew his sidearm and turned, only to find none other than Bed standing there. She wore the same emotionless expression she'd had ever since her first kill, and didn't even _flinch_ at the gun pointed directly at her face.

"B-Bed." Lyle muttered. He holstered his pistol with a sigh. "Don't sneak up on me like that… I could have hurt you. What are you doing up here, anyway? You know you shouldn't-" Before he could finish, Bed held something out for him: a dark blue parka. Lyle's brow furrowed as he looked at it. "Did you… find this?" Bed nodded silently. Lyle took a quick glance away, surveying their surroundings once more before taking the parka. It was a near-perfect fit. It made sense that Bed would know his size, given how much she had helped their mother with her workin the past. Most importantly, however, it was _warm_. Just as he was about to thank her, she held out something else for him: a candy bar.

"Bed, you know I can't take this." Lyle said, gently grasping her hand and lowering it. "Any food needs to be given to Lyra for rationing." But the little girl didn't budge. She stood silently, thrusting the candy bar towards him once more. Lyle frowned as he looked down at it; as if on cue, his stomach rumbled audibly. He _was_ hungry, and he _did_ need to keep his energy up somehow. With some reluctance, he took the bar. "…Thank you." Bed simply nodded again. Lyle unwrapped the candy and was about to take a bite before he stopped; he broke the bar in two and offered half to his sister. "Here," He said. "You need to eat too." Bed glanced down at the chocolate bar, then back up to her brother. "Go on." The girl hesitated a moment, then obediently took it. Both ate their halves quickly; Lyle had no doubt that she had been just as hungry as he had. The sugary chocolate was the best thing he'd tasted in a while. "Thank you, Bed." He said with a small smile. "Now, I need to get back to it, so…"

"Are… you… okay?" Bed mumbled quietly. Lyle's eyes widened slightly. Those were the first words he'd heard her say in quite some time.

"I-I… yes. I'm okay." Lyle assured her. Bed nodded once more… then, to Lyle's surprise, she gave him a hug. He froze up for a moment before slowly returning the hug, squeezing the girl perhaps a bit tighter than was necessary. Their hug broke, and Lyle looked at his sister sadly. "Bed-"

"...Bye." Without another word, Bed hurried off and slipped back into the air duct she had come from. Lyle's gaze lingered for a moment before he turned away with a small sigh. But just as he was about to get back into position, he heard another sound: voices from the East side of the building. He quickly bolted towards it, dropping and sliding to the barrier before carefully peering over the edge.

"-you think anyone's inside?"

"God, I hope so… maybe they can help us." Three people were approaching the store. They seemed young… teens, perhaps. One of them was clearly injured, and was being supported by the other two. Quite frankly, they looked harmless enough... but nonetheless, Lyle raised his crossbow and took aim.

Orders were orders.

* * *

 **Don't phase me, bro**

"C-chief Engineer Lemy."

"'Sup, Beej?" Lemy muttered as he attempted to repair one of the group's walkie talkies. Bobby's eyes narrowed.

"...Chief Engineer." Bobby said in a stern tone. "While we may hold equal rank, I must ask that you speak with d-decorum. As Lieutenant Commanders, we must set a proper example for our lower-ranking crewmates." Lemy rolled his eyes.

"Right, sure, my bad. How, uh… how can I be of assistance, Second officer Robert?" As much as the metalhead cared for his brother, he had to admit that the constant sci-fi lingo grated on his nerves after a while.

"I have need of the latrines." Bobby said. "Given the... _acting captain's_ rules on traveling alone, I was hoping you would accompany me." He made no attempt to hide the animosity in his voice; Lemy had hoped that he would have given up on his distrust of Lyra by now, but clearly that was not the case.

"Bit busy right now, sorry." Lemy said. "Why don't you ask Loan?"

"She is plotting out our next course of action. I believe it is best not to disturb her." Bobby explained.

"Ask someone else, then." Lemy replied. Bobby frowned slightly.

"…P-please." He mumbled, some of his usual anxious tone returning to his voice. Lemy shut his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose. He couldn't say no when the boy asked like that. Lemy sighed and set down the radio.

"Alright, fuck it. I could use a piss anyway." He said as he got to his feet.

"…C-chief Engineer, _please_." Bobby groaned. " _Decorum."_

The department store they were currently holed up in was something of a godsend; granted, the group had received more than a few injuries 'clearing out' its previous occupants, but at least they hadn't suffered any casualties. Among the various benefits that the building offered were the bathrooms. The plumbing was still functional too, which definitely helped with sanitation. Their previous safehouse had not been so fortunate, leading to things getting very disgusting very quickly.

"Sooo… you leaving a 'captain's log'?" Lemy joked as the two headed towards the back of the store. Bobby's face scrunched up briefly in annoyance, before relaxing to a neutral expression.

"…A-alright. I'll admit that one was mildly amusing. But no, I am not." Bobby said in a flat tone. "Besides, I am not Captain."

"Right…" Lemy mumbled. He couldn't help but be somewhat disappointed by Bobby's deadpan reaction… then again, he hadn't seen the boy so much as smirk since he'd joined the group. He wasn't even sure if he was physically capable of doing so, given the severity of his burns.

As they arrived at the bathrooms, rather than entering Bobby simply stood in front of the door. Lemy rolled his eyes again and pushed open the door for him.

"Shwiiish." Lemy hissed in his best impression of a starship door. Bobby seemed satisfied by this and followed him inside.

"It seems the sensors need to be re-calibrated."

"Yeah, I'll, uh… I'll get on that ASAP." Lemy grunted sarcastically. Bobby made a beeline for one of the urinals, Lemy joining beside him and unzipped his fly. His younger brother was taking a while; out of the corner of his eye, Lemy noticed that he had his entire hand shoved through the opening of his pants, and seemed to be fishing around for his 'thing'. Lemy cocked an eyebrow before quickly shaking his head and looking straight ahead. It was none of his business.

…But then again, he had to admit he was curious. Neither he nor the others knew exactly how far down Bobby's burns went… he wouldn't so much as take off his shirt around them. But given what he _could_ see, Lemy couldn't even imagine what the rest of him looked like.

Especially THAT.

Lemy bit his lip, his face scrunching up in conflict. On one hand, it was really none of his business… but on the other hand, he had to admit he was _very_ curious. With a small sigh, he ventured a discrete glance.

There was nothing there.

Or, rather… _was_ something, but certainly not what it _should_ be there. Instead, the boy was holding a thin, clear plastic tube with a small clamp at the end holding back his urine. He aimed it the best he could, and as he undid the clamp it just kind of dribbled out into the urinal. Lemy grimaced, feeling his stomach turn.

"Something _bothering_ you, Chief Engineer?" Bobby asked in an accusatory tone. He'd noticed. Lemy quickly looked away, mentally cursing himself for being so careless.

"S-sorry, I-"

"...It's fine." Bobby said quietly. "I can hardly blame you for being curious. I-it IS quite a sight, after all." Lemy frowned as he shook himself and zipped back up. He really did feel bad. As if the burns themselves weren't bad enough, to lose your dick was just adding insult to injury. _No wonder the poor guy went crazy,_ he thought. If the same happened to him he'd probably just stick a gun in his mouth and be done with it. Still, there was something else about the situation that bothered him: how the hell did Bobby have a catheter? Surely the boy couldn't have done it himself.

"Alright, you done?" Lemy asked. Bobby nodded, giving the tube a quick shake before re-fastening the clamp and carefully putting it back in his pants. Lemy headed for the door, only for his brother to loudly clear his throat.

"…Need I remind you of the Starfleet's policy on maintaining proper hygiene?" Bobby said sternly. Lemy stopped, letting out a small groan before turning around.

"…Right." He grunted as he walked to the sink. Bobby joined him, and the two washed their hands in silence. Lemy, however, couldn't help but dwell on the issue. Missing appendage aside, he'd always wondered just how such a young kid had managed to survive such serious injuries. Sure, it was all scar tissue now, but it sure as hell hadn't been at the time. He'd seen firsthand just how easily infection could set in on exposed wounds, especially amongst the filth of a post-outbreak world. "H-hey, Bobby…" Lemy muttered as the two finished up. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"…I suppose."

"How the heck did you survive on your own for so long…?" Lemy asked. "I mean, how did you survive at _all?_ And that… thing… you couldn't have done it yourself, right?" Bobby froze for a brief moment, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Th-that certainly _is_ personal, Chief Engineer."

"Sorry, you don't have to-"

"No, it's alright." Bobby sighed. "We're all comrades here. I suppose I owe you an explanation." Lemy leant against the wall, patiently waiting for the boy to continue. "I have Doctor Phillips to thank for that."

"…Who?" Lemy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He was the one to find me after the… incident…" Bobby trailed off, idly rubbing at his burnt arm. "H-he cleaned and bandaged my wounds, and fitted me with my catheter. He's a good man."

"Sounds like it," Lemy agreed. "So… what happened? Why aren't you with him anymore?" Bobby averted his eyes, chewing his lip for a moment before continuing.

"We were together for some time, even after I had recovered from my injuries. But if I were to have any hope of finding the mothership, I could not stay." Lemy had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes again.

"So, you just left?" Lemy asked. Bobby shook his head.

"D-doctor Phillips was adamant that I stay, for my own safety." The younger boy explained. "H-he would not let me leave, so I had t-to use force."

"You… killed him, you mean?" Lemy had to admit, he was surprised… despite his madness, Bobby was one of the least violent among them. To kill someone that had saved and cared for him was harsh, even by their standards. Bobby, however, shook his head again.

"Of _course_ not," Said Bobby with a hint of irritation. "L-like I said, he's a good man. I merely stunned him."

"…Stunned…?" Lemy furrowed his brow. "Stunned how?" Bobby withdrew his 'phaser' from his belt, and Lemy had to fight back his natural instinct to disarm the boy.

"I only k-kill when necessary," Bobby assured him. "Here, see?" He pointed out a small, plastic switch on the side of the toy shell. "I-I keep my phaser set to _stun_ unless I'm sure I need to use l-lethal force." Lemy's eyes widened. Stun. He thought his pistol was set to STUN.

Bobby didn't know he'd been killing people.

"A-anyway, that's the story…" Bobby muttered, placing the 'toy' back on his belt. "Now, i-if there's nothing further, shall we rejoin the rest of the crew?" Lemy shook himself out of his thoughts, giving a small nod.

"Y-yeah… yeah, let's go." The metalhead mumbled. He headed for the door and opened it. "…Swish." He said with markedly less enthusiasm, though Bobby didn't seem to notice. As the two walked, Lemy glanced over, scanning his half-brother. His burnt flesh, his perpetually shell-shocked expression, his useless toy helmet that he was adamant was the real deal… he was a mess, and that was only what laid on the _surface._ Underneath that, it was clear that the boy was even more damaged than Lemy had thought. He thought he was harmlessly stunning people this whole time. Lemy had often wondered if he truly believed the nonsense he spouted or if it was just his way of coping with the horrible situation he was trapped in, but now… he was sure Bobby wasn't faking it.

He already distrusted Lyra… no, he distrusted _most_ of the group. He _hated_ Lyra, and seemed to have no doubt that she was an alien spy. Lemy's mind couldn't help but conjure up thoughts of the day Bobby might finally snap and decide to 'stun' one of them. Lemy clenched his teeth. There was no doubt in his mind now: the boy was irreparably broken. Even in the off chance that they managed to survive, that humanity would somehow rebuild itself… there was nothing that could be done to help him. Bobby was completely delusional and, above all else… a potential risk to the group's safety. Lyra had been right about him. Lemy fell back slightly, trailing just behind his brother. He loved the kid… he always had, almost as much as Lyra herself. But he couldn't let this go. Lyra's rules were barbaric, but they were the only reason the group had survived so long. Family or not, risks had to be dealt with. No exceptions.

He focused his gaze on the back of Bobby's head. The plastic helmet may serve well enough against the horde, but not against a proper weapon. Lemy slowly reached behind his back, gripping the handle of his axe. One well-placed blow, and that would be it. He'd make it quick… painless. Loan would be devastated, but surely she'd understand when he explained his actions. Besides, the boy was too far gone; putting him out of his misery was the most merciful thing he could do for his brother. _Stop hesitating,_ Lemy told himself. _Just do it. One blow, that's it. He won't feel a thing. Better you do it than Lyra, right?_

"…Chief Engineer?"

"Y-yes?" Lemy gasped, quickly letting go of his hatchet and doing his best to act casual. Bobby stopped walking and turned to face his brother.

"…D-do you… mind if I speak freely for a moment?" He asked. His voice was quiet and strained… he'd dropped his stoic façade again. Lemy gave a small nod.

"Sure…" He muttered. Bobby took a deep breath.

"I… do appreciate it." He admitted. "The way you try to cheer us up, I mean. If… if we're to survive this… if we're to make contact with the mothership… it's important that we have someone like you to keep our morale up. So… thank you." Lemy tensed up. It was faint, but it was there… the good half of his brother's mouth was upturned slightly. He was smiling, or at least the best he could manage.

"U-uh… yeah… yeah, no problem, bro. Don't… mention it." Lemy muttered. Bobby made a small sound that may have been a chuckle, then turned away and resumed walking. Lemy remained frozen where he stood for a moment; before finally releasing a long sigh. "…Dammit." He grumbled under his breath.

"Chief Engineer Lemy, don't fall behind!"

"R-right…" Lemy hurried to catch up with his brother. "Hey, by the way… let's keep the stunning thing between us, okay?"

* * *

 **Bite Me**

"You c-called for me, _captain?"_ Bobby asked in a venomous tone. Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I did. I need you to do something." She said. Bobby's scowl deepened slightly. "It's a simple matter," She assured him. "One that should be no issue for an… officer of your caliber." Lyra abhorred indulging in the boy's fantasies, but it was the best way to get him to cooperate. In any case, the 'compliment' seemed to ease him somewhat; he straightened his posture, folding his arms behind his back.

"…How may I be of s-s-service?"

"As I'm sure you've noticed, Lulu has been acting… unusual lately." Lyra gestured with her head towards the infant, who was seated a distance away. 'Unusual' was something of an understatement. She looked angry, and seemed to be chewing her pacifier anxiously… quite frankly, she looked as though she may rip the head off of anyone who dared approach her. Something she was _quite_ capable of doing, unfortunately.

"Yes… I have noticed." Bobby muttered. The rest of his 'crew' had noticeably been giving her a wide berth as of late, not that he could blame them. The crew's 'alien pet' was usually friendly and affectionate, but he knew fully well just how vicious she could be. "What of it?"

"Well, I need you to check her pacifier." Lyra said. Bobby furrowed his brow.

"W-with all due respect, 'captain'… to my knowledge, that device is the only thing keeping this creature placated. Per Admiral Lisa's orders, it is never to be r-removed." He said.

"That's exactly why I'm concerned," Lyra stated. "If there's something wrong with it, ignoring the issue could very well endanger all of us. Regardless of your feelings towards _me_ , surely the safety of the… crew… takes priority?" Bobby frowned. She wasn't wrong… as Second Officer, he couldn't very well leave the matter unattended. But then again… he hated taking orders from this impostor.

"If this is a trick-"

"I assure you, it's not. You're the only one I could trust to handle such a volatile situation." Lyra said. Bobby narrowed his eyes in suspicion before giving a sigh and small nod.

"...Very well. I will investigate. I'm certain my duranium helmet will provide sufficient protection," He said reluctantly. As he walked towards the girl, a cold smirk crossed Lyra's face. She wasn't lying… at least, not entirely. Lulu's current state was a potential risk to the group's safety, after all. But the delusional Bobby was even _more_ of a threat, even now. As much as she'd like to just put the boy out of his misery and be done with it, the fact of the matter was that, despite his madness, he had yet to act against them in any capacity. To execute him without due cause would surely cause a rift in the group, especially given Loan's attachment to him. Which made him the perfect choice for the task at hand. If it were to take a turn for the worse… well, surely that wouldn't be _her_ fault. She was counting on it, of course; it was why she had chosen Loan to go on patrol today, reluctant as she had been to leave the boy's side. And with none of the others watching, it would be easy enough to pass off Bobby's fate as a simple accident. With no small amount of trepidation, Bobby approached the irritable infant. Her eyes flicked towards him and she gave a fierce glare, a threatening growl emitting from her throat. Bobby swallowed the lump in his throat and held up his hands in a vain attempt to ease her.

"I-it's okay, Lulu… I'm not going to hurt you," He said in as soothing of a voice as he could manage. "I'm here to help." Lulu's growl only deepened with each step he took, her scowl growing even more intense as he reached towards her. "Easy, now…" With one quick motion, he plucked the binky from her mouth and backed away. Lulu made a sound like the wail of a furious cat, assuming an attack posture as four pointed, spider-like appendages sprouted from her back. Bobby frantically looked over the pacifier; nothing seemed out of the ordinary, aside from the fact that even the thick rubber Lisa had chosen had been slightly chewed up. Lulu's spindly 'legs' pierced the ground and lifted her well above the boy's eye level. She scuttled towards him with a fierce hiss, her mouth opening wide to bare her razor-sharp teeth. Bobby gasped, whipping his head towards her in horror as her jaw split open into an insect-like mandible… more than wide enough to take off his head in a single bite.

Lyra's cold expression faltered somewhat. Despite her distrust of the boy, even now her maternal instinct told her that she should intervene… but she wouldn't. Bobby was a threat, after all… and should this be the end of things, so be it. But then, Bobby's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing as he stared into the baby's gaping maw. Just as she was about to lunge for him, he quickly reached into her mouth and pulled something out. Lulu let out a pained yelp and leapt back, her limbs retracting and dropping her onto her rear. Her mandible snapped shut and she clasped her tiny hands over her mouth; slowly, she lowered her hands and flexed her jaw a few times. She raised her arm and chomped down on it lightly, testing her bite. Lyra watched in disbelief as a wide smile spread across her baby sister's face. She crawled over to Bobby and reared up onto her legs, giving the boy a big hug. Bobby simply smirked and gently patted the girl's head before returning her binky, which she gladly accepted. With that, he made his way over to Lyra.

"The s-situation has been dealt with," Bobby said, holding up a small white object: one of Lulu's teeth. "I-it would seem that she simply had a loose tooth… undoubtedly, it was causing her no small measure of d-discomfort." He dropped the fang into Lyra's palm, and she simply stared at it in silence. "Now then, i-is that all…?"

"U-um… yes, that's all. You're… dismissed." Lyra stammered. Bobby gave a curt nod and headed off to return to his own business. Lyra looked from the tooth in her hand to her youngest sister, who was cheerfully scuttling about on her chitinous limbs; she seemed to be back to her old self. She sighed, placing the razor sharp fang in her pocket before walking over to the infant. "…Come on, Lulu. Let's get you fed." She muttered, and Lulu obediently sprang into her arms. _I suppose this is fine, for now…_ Lyra thought as she carried the girl off.

* * *

 **Only the Strong**

Only the strong come out on top.

This was a philosophy the boss lived by, even _before_ the outbreak. The world's spoils could only go to those willing to _take_ it for themselves, while the weak existed only to be trampled underfoot. In the zombie-infested wasteland, this rule was even _more_ important; it was kill or be killed, take or be taken from. Survive or die, regardless of what you had to do to ensure it. Not that the boss minded… this way of life suited him just fine. As soon as the outbreak began, he'd wasted no time in gathering together a group of survivors, almost his own little 'community' of sorts. He offered them protection within the warehouse he owned, a reinforced structure that was all but impervious to the horde… of course, he positioned himself as the leader, which the rest of his flock seemed to accept. He was a good leader, after all… providing them with both safety and resources.

This was all part of the plan, of course. He'd earned their trust… hell, they practically worshipped the ground on which he stood. Then came phase two: separating the wheat from the chaff. He identified the strong amongst the group, rewarded them for their efforts, and gradually won them to his side… and then came phase three: purging the weak without hesitation. The women got to stick around for a while, of course… at least, until he and his Merry Men got bored of them.

'The Merry Men'. He'd chosen the name because, quite frankly, he found it ironic. He supposed they _were_ merry, in their own way… in the post-outbreak world, they reigned supreme. Those few lucky enough to survive an encounter with them would spread the word to others, and soon enough they had established themselves as the most notorious raider gang around. Still, before long the time had come to leave the warehouse and find a _new_ stronghold. Supplies in the area were diminishing, after all.

Today, the boss stood in the office of the factory his gang now called home, watching over them through the large window as they fulfilled their duties… sorting supplies, maintaining weapons, and anything else the boss had instructed them to do. Obedient. Loyal. As strong as they were, they knew their place… _beneath_ him. Most would condemn the new state of the world, but the boss would have it no other way. This was his domain… even at the height of his success, he had never felt so powerful. As he looked down upon his flock, he knew fully well that they were untouchable. They would survive, and thrive, and slaughter any weakling that got in their way. Hell, their numbers only grew… anyone strong enough to impress him would be given a choice: join him, or die. Unsurprisingly, most chose the former.

The boss was snapped from his thoughts by the office door opening behind him. He found no reason to be on guard… he knew that none of his men would dare try anything against him.

"Boss?"

"Yes, Jackson?" The boss asked, not even turning to look at the man behind him. "Something to report?" Jackson was the closest thing he had to a right-hand man, or at least as far as he would allow it.

"Yessir," Jackson said. "The scouting group has just returned."

"A fruitful endeavor, I hope?"

"Yes. No casualties and a good amount of supplies to boot; they encountered a band of survivors holed up in a supermarket. Slaughtered every one of them."

"Good." The boss said casually. He expected no less from his men, after all.

"But… there's more," Jackson continued. "One of them tried to offer information in exchange for his life… apparently there's _another_ group gaining notoriety as of late."

"…Oh?"

"Yes. They're not raiders as far as I can tell, but they're more than willing to kill anyone they deem a threat." Jackson explained. "Only a few have been lucky enough to live to tell the tale."

"I see…" The boss muttered. "And where is this band located?"

"It's… unclear." His underling replied. "Apparently they've been on the move. In any case, there's only about fifteen or so. Maybe more, but definitely nowhere near enough to match our numbers."

"Let it be, then." The boss ordered. "If we run into them, we'll deal with it. No use seeking out trouble when we can let it come to us." Besides, he wasn't concerned… each one of his Merry Men could take on at least several survivors on their own.

"Well, about that…" Jackson said with a smirk. "You might be interested to know that this _particular_ group is apparently comprised entirely of women and children." His boss tensed up slightly. He turned, his cold gray eyes meeting his lackey's.

"…Alright, Jackson." Chester said, his lips pulling back into a sneering grin. " _Now_ you have my attention."

* * *

 **Home**

"We need to talk about your brother."

"Which one?" Loan muttered as she continued sharpening her blade.

"You KNOW which one." Lyra replied flatly. Loan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"...What about him?"

"You know that, too." Lyra snapped. "This... _Star Wars_ nonsense. It-"

"Star _Trek,"_ Loan corrected her. Lyra rolled her eyes.

 _"Whatever_ it is, it's a problem. You know what happened earlier?" Lyra asked. "When I woke up, the lunatic was just... sitting there, _glaring_ at me. Clutching that stupid gun of his."

"You can never be too careful," Said Loan. "Don't you always tell us that?"

"Loan, for fuck's sake, he thinks I'm an _alien."_ Lyra hissed. "You've seen how itchy that trigger finger of his can get. What if-"

"If he was going to attack you, he would have by now." Loan reasoned. "He's just trying to look out for us."

"You're only saying that because he trusts _you,"_ Lyra said. "But he doesn't trust me, and I don't trust him." Loan sighed, focusing her attention on the task at hand. The 'knife' consisted of a jagged, rusty piece of scrap metal sharpened into a fine edge, with a handle bound by twine; Bobby had made it for her when her own knife had snapped off in a would-be thief's neck. It had held up quite well, though it needed to be re-sharpened regularly... the boy's prior experience with model building had left him surprisingly adept at cobbling together weaponry. "You can't pretend this isn't a problem, Loan." Lyra muttered. "I've put up with him this long for your sake, but I'm at my limit."

"He's just coping in his own way, Lyra." Loan said with a noticeable edge to her voice. "We all are. Bobby's-"

"Last time I checked, the _rest_ of us don't think we're we're fucking _spacemen!"_ Lyra snapped. "He's out of his damn mind, Loan! He's _dangerous!_ And if you think I'm going to risk our safety-"

"Really? You're _really_ going to start this?" Loan shot back. "He's your brother too, you know!"

"Barely, Loan. _Barely."_ Lyra warned. "Either you get him under control or I'll deal with him MY way, do you understand?!" Loan glared at her sister in silence.

"...There is no _barely_ here. He's family, Lyra, just as much as any of us are."

"Don't pretend you're not playing favorites," Lyra replied. Loan scoffed and looked away. "I get it. You don't approve of my methods. But it's thanks to _me_ that we've lasted as long as we have, and I'm not letting anyone jeopardize that... family or not." Loan frowned. At some level, she could understand her sister's concern, but she trusted Bobby. He relied on them, and even if he had his doubts about Lyra he would surely never act on them.

"...I'll talk to him," Loan assured her. "Just... let me handle it." Lyra crossed her arms, looking down at her older sister in silence. Finally, she gave a small nod.

"Good. Just remember what I said," She huffed before walking off. "No exceptions." Loan sighed and glanced over towards her little brother. He was sitting alone a distance away, recording another 'Officer's Log' with his tape recorder. She looked back to her knife; figuring it was as good as it was going to get for now, she slipped it back into its holster. With a small grunt, Loan got to her feet. She walked over to Bobby and sat down on the floor nearby. He gave little more than a quick nod as a greeting, too focused on his recording to say anything to the woman. She watched the boy in silence. Their chance encounter with Bobby a few months back had been the first time Loan had felt genuine joy in who knows how long. She'd never imagined that he would have survived, especially for as long as he did. Even in his current state, just having him around helped ease her inner turmoil somewhat.

"Bob-" She began, before catching herself. "...Officer Loud. Can you come here for a second?" The boy jumped slightly at the sudden intrusion, then gave a small nod.

"...Second Officer Robert Loud, signing off." He said into the recorder before striding over to his big sister and giving a salute. "F-First Officer Loan. How can I be of assistance?" Loan forced herself to suppress a smirk. As troubling as his delusional behavior was, Loan couldn't help but appreciate the opportunity to 'roleplay' a bit. If nothing else, it gave her a way to cut loose just a little.

"At ease, officer." She said, patting the ground next to her. "Here, sit."

"Er... yes, ma'am. A-as you command." Bobby took a seat beside her. For a few moments, she didn't speak as she tried to find the right words.

"Bobby, look..." Loan muttered. "I know you don't trust Lyra, but she's on our side. She's not a... reptilian." Bobby frowned, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"They are a very crafty race, ma'am."The boy stated plainly. "I-it's in the best interest of the crew that I remain vigilant."

"Right, but... it's not in _your_ best interests." Loan figured it was best not to bring up their leader's ultimatum. "She's just trying to keep us all alive, Bob- officer. Just... I'll keep an eye on her myself, okay? So please stop."

"...Is that an order?"

"It's... a request," Said Loan. "From your sister." Bobby flinched slightly, but nonetheless sighed and nodded.

"V-very well. I trust your judgment." Bobby assured her. "For now, I will leave the matter in your capable hands."

"Thank you."

"Was there anything else, m-ma'am?" Bobby asked, turning to face his sister. Loan was about to dismiss him, but at this distance she took note of the dark purple creases under his good eye.

"You haven't been sleeping, have you?" She asked. Bobby averted his eye.

"...I sleep when I must." Loan frowned. Sleep didn't come easy to anyone, but it was clearly taking its toll on the boy.

"Here..." Said Loan, patting her lap. "Lie down." Bobby's brow furrowed slightly.

"Th-that would be conduct unbecoming of-"

"That's an order, officer." She said with a stern note to her voice. Bobby reluctantly nodded.

"...A-as you wish." He did as he was commanded, lying down and easing his head into her lap. He looked uncomfortable; before the outbreak, Bobby would have done this without hesitation.

But he wasn't 'Bobby' anymore.

Loan gently grasped the boy's helmet, but he grabbed her hand.

"C-commander-"

"It's okay, Bobby." She gently assured him. "It's okay." Bobby frowned, but nonetheless let go of his sister's hand. She felt him tense up as she carefully removed his helmet. It made a nauseating _shluck_ sound as it slid off the boy's head, and she had to turn away and cough as the stench of sweat and blood hit her like a freight train. That, and the sight of her brother's face was enough to rattle even her hardened resolve. Half of her Bobby's face was so badly burnt that it looked like something out of a horror movie. His right eye was dead and discolored, his milky-white pupil permanently locked off to the side. Half of his hair had burnt away and what hair he _did_ have was tangled and matted with grime. He averted his gaze, apparently ashamed of being seen like this.

Loan swallowed and forced herself to look at him. She had gotten off fairly easily, all things considered... others, like Marla and Lizy, hadn't been so lucky. But she couldn't begin to imagine just how badly her brother had suffered. The burns continued down his body as well, though she wasn't sure just how far they went. She gently touched the burnt half of his face, making him wince. She quickly drew her hand back.

"S-sorry... does it hurt?" She asked. Bobby shook his head.

"I-I can't feel anything... j-just pressure." He assured her. Loan nodded and began lightly stroking his hair. He shuddered slightly, but made no move to stop her. His hair was slimy to the touch, and coarse where it bordered his scarred flesh. Bobby had to admit, as unusual as it was for his commanding officer to touch him in such a way, it felt... nice. It was soothing, and strangely nostalgic.

It reminded him of how things had been before.

"Bobby... are you alright?" Loan asked, taking note of his troubled expression. Bobby's face scrunched up slightly.

"P-per... permission to speak freely, ma'am...?"

"Permission granted," Loan said with a nod. Bobby bit his lip, hesitating a moment before turning to meet her gaze. His good eye was beginning to brim with tears.

"I... I miss it..." The boy choked. "I want to go home..."

"...I know, Bobby." Loan said in a hushed tone. "We all do." Her brother's tiny body began to shake before he finally turned and buried himself into her stomach, sobbing freely into her shirt. She held him and let him cry; she may have joined him herself, had her own tears not run out long ago.

Before long, the boy had cried himself into an unsteady sleep. She continued to stroke his hair as he twitched and muttered under his breath; nightmares, no doubt. It was easy to forget that despite the situation, despite his mental state, underneath it all he was just a terrified child. Loan sighed and looked out to the rest of the the group. Sometimes it was hard to believe that things had been normal once. That they'd been _happy_ once. She'd never fully appreciated just how good her life had been until it was taken from her. Sometimes, she wondered why they even bothered trying to survive in a dead world... the most they could do was delay the inevitable. Eventually, their luck would run out.

But for now, at least, they had each other. If nothing else, perhaps prolonging that was worth it.


	5. Play-Date

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Oh hey it's time for more shipping.**

 **So... gwebby. This particular ship was pitched by Patanu, and it certainly seemed to come outta nowhere. Heck, one might even say it's something of a crack ship. But he made a very good case for it and quickly won me over, and lo and behold it's now one of my faves. So naturally, I had to write a few shorts about it.**

 **This is one I plan to return to soon enough.**

* * *

 **Play-Date**

"Tag, you're it!" Lacy cheered as she effortlessly caught up to Lemy, patting him on the back. "Now you gotta catch me!"

"Oh, c'mon… you're too-" Before he could finish, Lacy had already bolted off. "...Fast." With a groan of resignation, Lemy sped off after her.

It was a nice day at Ketcham Park. But while his siblings enjoyed themselves, running around and roughhousing with one another, Bobby was content to sit alone on a bench with his face buried in a novel. Heck, he'd only even come along because his mom wanted him to get some fresh air for a change… nice day or not, he'd much rather be home.

"Hey, you."

"…Huh?" Bobby looked up from his book, only for his blood to run cold as he saw none other than a very miffed-looking Gwen standing before him. "Um…" Bobby glanced around before pointing at himself. "…Me…?"

"Yeah, you." Gwen snapped. "D'you see anyone _else_ around?!" The young boy frowned and shook his head.

"S-sorry… um, did you need something…?" He asked apprehensively.

"Yeah, I do." She said. Bobby swallowed. Though he mainly knew Gwen through Leia and Lemy, he'd heard enough to know that she had a rather fearsome reputation despite her young age. He looked past her towards Lemy for support, but the young metalhead was far too wrapped up in his game of tag-turned-wrestling match with Lacy to pay attention to anything else.

"I don't have any money…"

"I don't want'cher money." Gwen said. "You and the freak are s'posed to be real close, right?"

"The… freak…?" Bobby asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Gwen sighed and rolled her eyes.

"…Lemy, I mean," The girl clarified. Bobby blinked, giving a small nod of his head.

"Well, yeah…" He muttered. "Why?" Gwen's lips curled into a devious, sneering smirk that sent a chill down Bobby's spine.

"Perfect," She said. "Because you're gonna be my boyfriend." For a few moments, Bobby said nothing. He stared at her in silence, as though her words hadn't quite registered within his mind. Then, he tilted his head slightly.

"…I-I'm sorry, what?" He asked.

"Ya heard me." Gwen scoffed. "You're my new boyfriend. Congratulations." Bobby went silent again, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Um… right…" Bobby coughed into his fist, his cheeks reddening slightly. "I-I thought you and Lemy-"

"Not _anymore,"_ Gwen spat, her voice dripping with venom. "He dumped me for that… that _skank_ with the piercings." The timid boy winced; it had completely skipped his mind that now that Lemy was dating Lina, he and Gwen must have broken up. And from the sound of things, it hadn't been an amicable split either.

"O-oh yeah. Sorry to hear that… you two, uh… you just… had such great chemistry together…" Bobby trailed off, averting his eyes as he spoke. "B-but why ME?"

"Simple. If he sees you and me together, he'll get so jealous that he'll _beg_ me to take him back." Gwen said with a confident smirk.

"…Oh." Bobby grumbled. Of _course_ it would be about that… as if anyone would actually be interested in him, right? The young boy sighed and shook his head. "Well, forget it. I'm not doing it."

"…Come again?" Gwen narrowed her eyes, making him shrink back against the bench slightly.

"I-I said no." He repeated. "I'm not interest-" Bobby yelped as Gwen grabbed the front of his hoodie and yanked him to his feet. She didn't even need to make any threats; her cold glare spoke volumes. "Er, th-that is… what's in it for me?" Bobby stammered, laughing nervously.

"Hmmm…" Gwen let go and rubbed her chin in thought. "I guess I'll pay ya."

"…I don't want your dirty money, Gwen…" Bobby mumbled.

"'Dirty money'…? Sheesh, whaddaya think we are, the mob?" Gwen scoffed, crossing her arms.

"N-no, just… you know. It wouldn't feel right." Bobby said. The imposing girl groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"…How is _Lemy's_ brother such a boy scout?" She grumbled under her breath before letting out a sigh. "Look… I'll make it up t'ya somehow, okay? I just… need your help with this. Please." Bobby averted his eyes, his brow furrowing slightly. There was a note of vulnerability to her tone that he hadn't heard from her before… she sounded desperate. Clearly, she had valued her relationship with Lemy far more than he had.

Bobby pursed his lips in thought. He didn't want to make Lemy jealous, but then again, _would_ he be? The rocker had broken up with Gwen for a reason, after all. Besides, he seemed more than happy with Lina. Surely nothing would come of this. All he'd have to do was play along until she gave up, and he'd be rewarded for his troubles. Besides, it wasn't like he could just say 'no' when she asked him in _that_ tone.

"…What, um…" Bobby sighed in resignation. "What would I need to do…?"

"Easy!" Gwen said with a grin. "Y'just need to pretend to be my boyfriend for a while."

"R-right…" Bobby stammered. "Soooo… what would I need to _do…?"_ Gwen shot him an unimpressed glare.

"…Ain'tcha ever had a girl-" Gwen paused, glancing the meek boy over for a moment: short, pudgy, poor posture, zero confidence, zero charisma. She sighed. "No… 'course you haven't."

"Sorry…"

"Well, first of all: _man up,"_ Gwen snapped. "No boyfriend of mine's gonna act like a spineless dweeb."

"B-but I'm not really your-" Bobby was cut off by Gwen clamping her hand over his mouth.

"Shut it," She ordered. "Anyway, it ain't hard. Y'know… take me on dates. Compliment me. Hold my hand. Couple stuff. Maybe kiss-" Bobby's eyes went wide and Gwen quickly withdrew her hand in disgust as she felt him spit against her palm. "Ew!"

" _K-k-k-kiss?!"_ Bobby sputtered, his face red as a tomato. "I-I've never kissed anyone! I don't know how to kiss!"

"I said _maybe,_ you little spaz. Ugh…" Gwen grimaced and wiped her hand on his sleeve. "Look, y'just gotta treat me like you'd treat a _real_ girlfriend. I'm sure even a dork like you can figure it out… you _are_ a boy, ain'tcha?" Bobby swallowed and nodded. She was right… how hard could it be? He'd watched enough TV to have at least some understanding of how relationships worked.

"Well, um…" Bobby chewed his lip, fidgeting awkwardly. "I guess… I could give it a TRY, at least…"

"Good boy." Gwen said with a smirk. Bobby sighed and hung his head; he was already starting to regret this decision.

"…So what now…?" The boy asked. "Do we go over there, or something?"

"Nah… too obvious." Gwen sat down beside him. "We want this to look convincin', so we need to act natural."

"Natural… right. Sure. I can do that." Bobby muttered. He sat up straight and rested his hands in his lap, anxiously drumming his fingers against his knees. His cheeks were flushed and there was sweat dripping from his brow.

" _That's_ natural?! Y'look like y'got a stick up your butt!"

"Wh-what's wrong with this?" He asked. Gwen growled in irritation and pushed him back against the bench.

" _Relax._ Here." Gwen scooted a bit closer and leaned against his side. "Put your arm around me."

"Um… okay…" Hesitantly, Bobby slid his arm behind her, resting it against the back of the bench… and not so much as grazing Gwen herself. She turned to him with a baffled, annoyed glare.

"…Are you seriously hover-handing me?"

"I, er… I mean, y-you know…" Bobby laughed nervously. Gwen groaned and buried her face in her palm; she was starting to regret not seeking out the girly one instead, but then again, she'd needed a boy willing to take orders.

"Put. Your arm. _Around_ me." She hissed. Bobby gulped and did as he was told, resting his arm against the girl's back and gently grasping her shoulder. She rolled her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Keep reading."

"Huh…?" Bobby cocked an eyebrow. "But… isn't that kind of rude?"

"It's called cuddlin', ya putz." Gwen scoffed. "Just two lovebirds enjoyin' the day. Nothin' weird about that."

"Oh, um… yeah, I guess." He picked up his book, trying his best to ignore the girl pressed against his side and the resultant heat in his cheeks.

"Relax," Gwen said again. "You're all on edge. Jus' pretend I'm one of your sisters or somethin'."

"…Sorry." Bobby shut his eyes a moment and took a deep breath. He tried to imagine that it was Lizy snuggled against him instead… the little girl would often fall asleep on him when they watched movies together, and _that_ certainly never bothered him. Gwen, meanwhile, kept her gaze focused on her ex-boyfriend as he attempted to put Lacy in a chokehold. Surely, he would notice them soon enough.

The two young 'lovers' stayed like that for some time. It didn't take long for Bobby to get used to the girl on his shoulder, and he had almost forgotten she was there until she spoke up.

"So whatcha readin', anyway?"

"Huh? Oh… um, it's called The Fountains of Paradise." Bobby replied.

"Sounds lame."

"N-no… it's actually really interesting. It's about a space elevator-"

"Like I said, lame." Gwen repeated with a yawn. "Readin's boring anyway. Just watch the movie or something."

"…There is no movie." Bobby grunted.

"Not even good enough for a movie, huh?" Gwen chuckled. Her 'boyfriend' sighed, his brow knitting in agitation.

"N-not everything works as a film, you know… and I like books better, anyway." He huffed. "Besides, I've read this one already." Gwen cocked an eyebrow.

"Why would ya read a book _twice?"_

"The first time I read it to read it," Bobby explained. "This time, I'm reading it to _get_ it." Gwen blinked in confusion.

"Sheesh, you're even more of a loser than I thought." She groaned, shaking her head. "So I guess you're one o' them brainy-types, huh?"

"…I guess." Bobby mumbled as he turned the page. Gwen fell silent once more, glancing back towards Lemy. He and Lacy had stopped their roughhousing and were now sitting against a tree, idly chatting with one another. She sighed and shifted her focus to the book Bobby was reading. His shoulder was surprisingly comfortable, most likely due to him nearly matching her height… unlike Lemy, she didn't need to awkwardly stretch her neck to reach. Soon, she found her eyelids growing heavy.

Bobby lowered his book to his lap and squeezed his eyes shut, massaging them with his thumb and forefinger. How long had he been reading for…? He opened his eyes, blinking a few times until his vision returned to him. It was getting late… still bright, but the park had already begun to empty out. Bobby perked up as he noticed Lemy and Lacy approaching him.

"H-hey… Gwen, he's coming! What should I-" Bobby looked to his side only to find that Gwen had fallen asleep on his shoulder. "…Gwen…?"

"Yo, Beej! You ready to-" Lemy trailed off as he noticed his brother's companion. "…Is that Gwen…?"

"Um… y-yeah…" Bobby forced a shaky grin. "We're, um… w-w-we're… dating. I guess…" Lemy's eyes widened, a broad smile crossing his face.

"No shit?"

"Bobby has a girlfriend?!" Lacy gasped excitedly.

"Way to go, bro!" Lemy cheered the younger boy and ruffled his hair. Bobby laughed nervously, feeling his chest swell with pride… before remembering that he didn't _really_ have a girlfriend. "You and Gwen, huh? Never woulda thought it."

"W-well, you know… guess I just got a thing for tough girls…" Bobby lied. His big brother chuckled.

"You and me both. Well, we were 'bout to head back… you ready to go?" Lemy asked. His little brother frowned slightly and glanced over at Gwen. She was still sleeping soundly, and quite frankly, he'd hate to wake her.

"Um… you guys go on ahead. I'm gonna stick around a bit longer."

"Suit yourself," The metalhead said with a shrug. "Just don't stay out too long, okay?"

"I won't." Bobby smirked. "See you guys."

"Bye, Bobby! Have fun with your girlfriend!" Lacy said happily, making the boy blush.

"Later, BJ. Gimme a ring if anyone messes with ya, got it?"

"Sure." Bobby and his siblings exchanged a wave before the two headed off, leaving him alone with Gwen.

"Nnn…" Some time later, Gwen finally began to stir. "Wha…"

"Gwen?"

" _Gah!"_ Gwen yelped and, on instinct, decked Bobby across the face. The boy was knocked from the bench and hit the ground with a startled grunt of pain. Gwen's eyes shot wide open. "Bobby?!"

"Owww…!" He whined. "Wh-why'd you do that?"

"Ah, crap… you okay?" The flustered girl offered Bobby her hand; he sniffled and accepted it, letting her hoist him to his feet. "Sorry 'bout that… ya kinda spooked me there."

"Th-that really hurt, Gwen…" Bobby whimpered, rubbing at his throbbing cheek.

"Ah, quit whinin'… I barely even got ya." She muttered as she dusted him off, though her cheeks were tinged red with embarrassment. "U-um… how long was I out for?

"…A bit." Bobby grumbled, flexing his jaw a few times before looking at her again. "Lemy left."

"He _left?!"_ Gwen snapped, making Bobby flinch. "Why the heck didn't you wake me?!"

"I, um… y-you looked comfortable, so I didn't want to disturb you…" The boy mumbled sheepishly. Gwen groaned and ran her hand down her face.

"Great. Just great. Did he notice, at least?" She asked. Bobby nodded. "What'd he say?!"

"He, uh… he congratulated me."

"And…?"

"…That's it." Bobby muttered.

"…That's _it?"_ Gwen asked, receiving another nod in response. Gwen's face fell. "Did he… _look_ jealous, at least?" Bobby shook his head. The girl averted her eyes, her brow scrunching up in sadness.

"Gwen…? Are you okay?" For a few moments, Bobby got no reply; then, Gwen sighed and hung her head.

"Don't worry about it." Gwen mumbled. "Anyway, thanks for the help, but I guess that's it for today. I needa get home."

"Do you, um… do you want a ride?" Bobby asked.

"A ride?" Gwen asked. Bobby nodded toward the red bicycle leaning against a nearby tree.

"You can ride on the back." Bobby said. "I-I'm pretty good at it, so if you hold on to me you won't fall off…"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm kinda out of the way-"

"I don't mind," Bobby assured her. "And it'll be a lot faster than walking." Gwen pursed her lips a she considered his offer; finally, she shrugged.

"Y'know what, why not." She said, walking over to the bike and looking it over. "This thing better be safe, though."

"I-it is. I give Lemy rides all the time." Bobby explained as he packed away his book. Gwen cocked an eyebrow.

" _You_ give _Lemy_ rides?" The girl asked.

"…He doesn't know how to ride a bike," Bobby said quietly, earning him a snort of laughter from Gwen.

"That guy's somethin', alright." She chuckled. Bobby kicked up the stand and wheeled his bike back onto the path before climbing on. He gestured for her to get on behind him, and she did so.

"Hold on tight." The boy instructed.

"Yeah, yeah…" Gwen huffed and wrapped her arms around his stomach. "Seriously though, if I fly offa this thing I'mma crack ya upside the head widda socket wrench. Got it?"

"Y-yeah, I got it…" Bobby stammered as he kicked off and began pedaling. Gwen gasped in surprise and hugged him tighter around the midsection. She couldn't help but be slightly nervous at first… riding a bike without being the one controlling it was a bit of an odd feeling, and ever time a stray stick or pebble rattled the bike she found herself clinging onto Bobby for dear life. But by the time they pulled in front of her home fifteen minutes later, she had grown to trust her chauffeur; she had relaxed against the boy's back, simply enjoying the sensation of the wind rushing through her hair.

Heck, she was kind of disappointed that it was over so soon.

"…Huh." Bobby muttered as he looked up at the modest, middle-class home. "Kinda expected something bigger…"

"Yeah, you ain't the only one." Gwen grunted as she climbed off the bike. "Not everyone at the academy is loaded, y'know." Bobby frowned apologetically.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Ah, it's fine. Like I said, you ain't the only one." Gwen said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Anyway, thanks for the ride, Bobblehead."

"You don't need to thank-" Bobby began, only trail off; he looked at her with his brow furrowed in confusion. "…B-Bobblehead?"

"Yeah. You got a problem with that?" She asked. Bobby swallowed and shook his head. "Good. Anyway, I'll be in touch for our next date."

"Sure, I… w-wait, what?" Bobby sputtered. "B-but Lemy-"

"What, you didn't think I was givin' up that easily, did ya?" Gwen said with a smirk. Bobby groaned and hung his head; it seemed that he wasn't going to get out of this arrangement so soon.

"Gwen… I don't-" Bobby trailed off as Gwen shot him an annoyed look, but he took a deep breath and pressed on. "…I think you should give this up. It's… not gonna work."

"What d'you know?" Gwen scoffed.

"I know Lemy," Bobby shot back. "A-and I know he likes Lina a lot. You're just going to keep getting hurt-" Bobby was cut off by Gwen flicking his sore cheek. He winced in pain and covered it with his hand. " _Ow!"_

"Like I said, I ain't givin' up that easily." Gwen snapped, only for her expression to quickly soften. "…Thanks for worryin' about me, but I'm a big girl. I know how to take a bit of pain."

"And _give_ it, too…" Bobby grumbled under his breath. Just as he lowered his hand, Gwen swooped in and planted a light kiss on his cheek. Bobby turned bright red, his eyes going wide in surprise. "Wh-wh-wha…?!"

"You're alright, Bobblehead." Gwen teased, leaning away with a chuckle. "Seeya next time!" She winked before turning and heading into her house, leaving the flustered boy alone on her driveway. He brought a hand to his cheek and lightly touched the spot where she had kissed him; somehow, it didn't seem to hurt so bad anymore.

"Yeah… seeya next time." Bobby muttered, a small smirk crossing his reddened face.

* * *

 **Play-Date 2**

"You're late, Bobblehead," Gwen grunted as her 'boyfriend' pulled up in front of her home. He hopped off his bike and braced himself against it to catch his breath.

"S-sorry…" Bobby panted, forehead dripping with sweat. "Y-you didn't give me much notice-"

"Yeah, yeah. Quit'cher bellyachin' and let's get outta here," The girl huffed and strode over to him. "We don't wanna be late." Her 'date' let out a sigh and climbed back on his bike; Gwen climbed on behind him and hooked her arms around his midsection without hesitation.

It had been just over three weeks since Gwen had kicked off her plan to get Lemy back… thus far with less-than-satisfactory results. Despite her best attempts to rouse the boy's jealousy with a new 'boyfriend', he seemed to take the whole thing in stride. But Gwen was nothing if not persistent, and as long as Bobby was still willing to play along she wasn't about to give up so easily. Not that she would give the timid boy much of a say in the matter, anyway.

"Y'know how to get to the theater from here, right?" She asked as Bobby started pedaling, keeping a moderate pace to avoid spooking his passenger.

"I think so," The boy muttered.

"Ya _think_ so or ya _know_ so?"

"…I know so." Bobby grumbled. Quite frankly, he'd rather be anywhere but here right now… in fact, he'd deliberately avoided mentioning Lemy and Lina's movie date to her for this very reason. But no, of course Leia had to get wind of it, and of course she just _had_ to report the information to Gwen. Now Bobby had no choice to push aside his weekend plans, all because this girl didn't know when it was time to let go. Still, he'd made a promise, and until Gwen finally gave up her pursuit of his big brother he intended to keep it.

"Where're ya goin'?" Gwen asked with a note of annoyance as Bobby diverted from the usual path, veering off towards the side streets instead.

"Shortcut," Bobby replied. Gwen raised an eyebrow.

"Shortcut?! This way's longer, dummy." Gwen let go for a moment to lightly swat the back of the boy's head, but he simply grit his teeth and forced himself to bear it.

"…The other way has a lot of crossings. Th-this way has less. It's faster." Bobby stated plainly. "I told you, I know where I'm going." Gwen frowned, narrowing her eyes at the boy's tone… then again, she could hardly blame him for having a bit of a snippy attitude. Gwen sighed and shrugged.

"Guess I'll take your word for it," She said. "You really get around in this thing, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Bobby muttered. "I-I mean, I ride it pretty much everywhere."

"Huh." Gwen hummed in thought. "Weird you're so fat, then." Bobby sighed and pressed on; he was used to being called fat by Lyle, after all.

As they headed down the side streets, Gwen had to admit that she could see his point… compared to the main roads they were far less crowded, not to mention the general lack of crossing lights. Even though Bobby stopped at every intersection and looked both ways before pedaling across, they were still making good time. Or, at least, they _were..._ after some time the bike suddenly screeched to a halt, nearly throwing Gwen off with a yelp. She had to tightly squeeze Bobby's waist to hang on.

"HEY!" The girl snapped. "What's the big idea?!" Bobby didn't immediately respond; she noticed he was staring straight ahead with a nervous expression. Following his gaze, she spotted two boys a short distance away. They looked to be about about Bobby's age, if not a bit older.

"U-um… Bobby stammered. "W-we better find another way…"

"Another way…? What's gotten into yo-"

"SHHH!" Bobby hissed. Normally Gwen would snap at the boy for shushing her like that but it was clear that, for whatever reason, Bobby did not want to cross paths with those boys. "Just… let's just go." He turned to head back onto the main roads.

"Yo, Dobby! Hold up!" Dammit. Bobby hung his head, letting out a sigh as the two boys approached. Now, Gwen could get a better look at them… one stood a bit taller than Bobby, wearing a green shirt with stripe of blue across the middle and sporting bleached blonde hair. The boy beside him was even taller than _that,_ standing at least half a head above him and clad in a black hoodie and matching skullcap. Both wore condescending smirks that Gwen did not like one bit.

"…H-hi, Hayden... A-Andy." Bobby grumbled, keeping his gaze planted firmly on the ground.

"Don't tell us you were just gonna ride off without saying hi?" Hayden sneered.

"Yeah, what? Ain't we friends no more?" Andy asked, not even attempting to mask the sarcasm in his tone.

"N-no… um… I-I said hi, so… hi." Bobby muttered. Hayden grinned and roughly tousled the boy's hair.

"That's more like it," The bully said. "Ain't been seein' you at school so much… kinda feels like you're givin' us the slip. But you wouldn't be doin' _that,_ now would ya?"

"N-no!" Bobby lied. "O-of course not, I-"

"Who're these shmucks?" Bobby turned towards Gwen with wide, horrified eyes. She was glaring at the two boys harshly, clearly not impressed with their little power play. Bobby turned his attention back to the bullies, finding them glowering right back at her.

"…Could ask you the same thing." Hayden shot back.

"I asked first," Gwen snapped. Hayden narrowed his eyes, then turned to Bobby with a huff.

"Dobby. Who's this broad?" He asked. "'Nother sister of yours?" Bobby swallowed and shook his head.

"N-n-no, she's-"

"A friend," She finished for him. Hayden raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"…A friend? How 'bout that." Hayden chuckled. "Lil' Dobby found himself a friend. B'sides us, of course."

"An' a girl, too." Andy added with a laugh of his own. "Well, ain't he just a big ol' casa… casano… casanu…" The boy's brow contorted in thought as he struggled to remember the word. "…ladies' man."

"Casanova, you idiot." Hayden grumbled, before once again sneering at Gwen. "Well, we and Bobby go waaay back. Ain't that right?" He asked the nervous young boy; Bobby could only give a small, timid nod in response. Needless to say, his 'date' was less than convinced.

"Friends. Right." The girl spat, crossing her arms. "All I see is a coupla clowns with a lousy act."

"G-Gwen…!" Bobby gasped, but Gwen pressed on.

"I mean, c'mon. The whole 'best buddy' bit is played out." She scoffed.

"Gwen-"

"And 'Dobby'? That ain't even _clever,_ for cryin' out loud." The girl continued. "Coulda called him 'Booby' but ya missed it." Bobby buried his face in his palm; this was exactly what he hadn't wanted to happen. For a moment neither of the bullies said anything; they glanced at each other, then back to Gwen. A cold smirk slowly crossed Hayden's face.

"I like your girlfriend, Dobby." He said. "Gwen, right? You got guts."

"More than I can say for you," Gwen shot back. "Bet ya think you're real big-shots, pickin' on a puny lil' wimp like him."

"Gwen, _please…"_ Bobby groaned.

"So here's the deal." Gwen huffed, striding forward and getting right in Hayden's face. "Either youse two knuckleheads shove off an' leave us alone, or I'll show ya how a _real_ big-shot fights. Got that?" For a moment, there was a heavy silence; the bullies looked at one another, straining to hold back their laughter. Finally, they broke and began laughing hysterically at the girl's threat. "W-what?!" Gwen snapped, her face growing hot with embarrassment. "I mean it!"

"S-sure… right…" Hayden managed to spit out between peals of laughter. "Do ya, now." Gwen clenched her teeth in anger, and Bobby noticed her hands clenching into fists. He could feel a pit forming in his stomach… this was about to get bad.

"N-no, sh-she doesn't…!" Bobby sputtered, getting between the two with a forced, shaky smile and his palms raised in submission. "She's j-just a bit grumpy right now, so-" He was cut off by Gwen pushing him aside.

"Yeah, I _do."_ She growled. Hayden and Andy snorted with laughter again.

"Gwen, come _on,"_ Bobby pleaded, gently grasping the girl's arm, trying to lead her away. "J-just let it go…" Gwen just wrenched her arm away and stood her ground against the bullies. Slowly their laughter petered off and they stepped forward, looming over the smaller girl and her trembling 'boyfriend'. "G-guys, come on… j-just leave us alone…"

"Hey now, she's the one that threatened _us."_ Hayden pointed out. "Nothin' wrong with defendin' ourselves, right?"

"Yeah… an' hey, tell ya what." Andy drawled with a cocky smirk. He leaned forward and tilted his head, presenting his chin to the girl. "I'll even give ya a free shot." He tapped the side of his chin for emphasis. "C'mon, right he-"

 _POW._

Andy fell back, hitting the ground like a ton of bricks. Hayden stood stock-still, his eyes wide with shock… only for Gwen to turn and gut-punch him hard, knocking all the wind from his lungs. He dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach in pain; Gwen merely scoffed and shoved him to the ground.

"That it?" She sneered. Bobby couldn't believe what he was seeing. He knew she was tough, of course… she was Leia's muscle for a reason after all. Besides, it was only natural a boxer's daughter would know how to throw a punch. "C'mon, get up!" The girl taunted, grinning as she cracked her knuckles. "I ain't done with ya yet."

"S-stupid little…!" Andy grunted, staggering to his feet. He rubbed his sore jaw, finding his footing before lunging at Gwen with fury in his eyes. She easily weaved away from the taller boy as he tried to grab her, countering with another punch. The height difference gave her a clear shot at Andy's liver and, while not strong enough to do any real damage, the blow was painful enough to make the boy collapse to the ground once more.

"What're you doing, you idiot?!" Hayden snapped at his cohort as he too got to his feet, putting up his dukes as he eyed his opponent. Andy may have been the bigger and stronger of the two, but he was sorely lacking in the brains department. Hayden, however, was smart enough not to charge in so recklessly. Not that it mattered much; for all their bullying, neither of the boys _really_ knew how to fight. Gwen, on the other hand, did. Every time he swung for her, she dodged. Every time he readied himself for an incoming blow, it was a fake-out. She wasn't even trying to hit him… the big grin plastered on her face proved that this was just a game to her. She was toying with him, and it pissed him off to no end.

"C'mon! That all you got?" She teased. Hayden briefly locked eyes with the prone Andy, who gave a small nod of understanding before Hayden's focus returned to Gwen; he took another swing at her but, as she stepped back, she suddenly felt someone grip her ankle. "Wha…?!" Gwen gasped, looking down to find Andy clutching her leg with a vicious glare.

"Gotcha!" Just as she was about to stomp on his arm she was pulled down to the ground with a yelp.

"Get _off,_ ya prick!" Gwen shouted, trying in vain to kick him off, but in terms of raw strength even she couldn't match the nine-year-old. He was easily able to pin her arms behind her back, and Bobby could only watch in horror as Hayden casually walked up and put his foot on her back, pushing the girl's face against the pavement.

"Not so tough now, huh?" Hayden scoffed. Gwen growled and struggled against them, her face growing hot with humiliation. She'd gotten too cocky... she could only be glad nobody was around to see this.

"L-leave her alone!" Bobby cried, rushing forward only for Hayden to roughly shove him away. He balled his trembling hands into fists, biting his lip in frustration at his own weakness. This wasn't right… you weren't supposed to hit girls. But what was he supposed to do about it? He was small, he was weak, he couldn't fight…

…But he had to do _something._

"So, ready to say 'uncle'?" Hayden asked.

"Up yours widda Louisville slugger!" Gwen shot back. Hayden scowled at her before glancing over at Andy.

"Hey, Andy… y'still got that switchblade?" He asked; Gwen's eyes went wide, her struggling halting all at once. Did he say _switchblade?_

"Damn right I do," The taller boy replied with a cruel grin.

"What say we give Gwen here a little haircu-" Before he could finish that thought he felt a sudden, sharp pain against his right temple. " _OW!"_ He staggered off of Gwen, clutching the spot in pain.

"Hayden?! What- _OW!"_ Andy cried as he too felt a burst of pain on his shoulder. The boys looked up to see Bobby shaking with fear and anger, his hands full of small rocks and bits of gravel.

"I-I said leave her _alone!"_ He shouted as he pelted the boys with rocks. They yelped in pain and backed off from Gwen, forced to cover their faces with their arms to shield themselves from the barrage.

"Y-you're, _OW,_ you're _dead,_ Dobby!" Hayden warned between gasps, but Bobby didn't let up for a second.

"F-f-fine! D-do what you want to me, b-but leave her alone…!" Bobby cried. Right now, his own well-being was the furthest thing from his mind; he wasn't about to let anyone else get hurt for _his_ sake. He threw rock after rock, not stopping until his supply had run out… and then, the look of determination slipped from his face as fast as it had come as the two furious boys glared at him with murderous intent. "…Uh… uh oh…"

" _Get 'im,"_ Hayden barked. Bobby screamed in fear as Andy charged him; he narrowly avoided the boy's grasp as he hopped back on his bike and pedaled off as fast as he could. "Get back here, you little turd!" The bullies had seemingly forgotten about Gwen entirely… she remained on the ground in stunned silence as the bullies ran off after Bobby and, soon, disappeared from her sight as they rounded a corner.

Gwen got to her feet and dusted herself off. Her back was a bit sore from where Andy's knee had pressed into her, but other that she was unharmed… shaken, but unharmed. Save for her pride, of course. Once her nerves had settled down, it occurred to Gwen that she had no idea what, exactly, she was supposed to do now. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to consider that long as Bobby suddenly screeched to a stop beside her, apparently having come down the same road that had led them here in the first place.

"B-Bobby?!" She gasped. "You're-"

" _G-get on…!"_ Bobby wheezed, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. Gwen nodded and climbed on behind him, barely able to hug the boy's waist before he sped off again. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Hayden and Andy were still on their tail, though they'd fallen behind quite a ways. She yelped, squeezing Bobby tighter as he made a sharp turn down an alleyway. Bobby darted and weaved through the streets, between buildings, around every corner he could find as he fled his bullies. Soon, Gwen could feel them slowing to a stop. She opened her eyes to find that they were in the park… the same park where she'd originally 'asked him out', in fact. Bobby was slumped over the handlebars, dripping with sweat and struggling to stay standing.

"H-hey… yo, Bobblehead. You good?" She asked.

"Y-y-yeah…" Bobby gasped. "A-are they gone…?" Gwen looked behind them, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"…Think you gave 'em the slip," She said, before glancing over at the exhausted Bobby. "You, ah… _sure_ you're okay, though? You were gunnin' pretty hard back there." The boy nodded weakly, waving her off as he unsteadily dismounted the bike.

"I-I'll be fine, just gotta… sit down…" Bobby staggered over to a nearby bench and slumped down into it, breathing a long sigh of relief. Gwen frowned, leaning the bike against a tree before joining him. "Are… are _you_ okay…?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She grumbled as she sat down. "I had it under control, y'know."

"...No you didn't," Bobby said plainly.

"I woulda figured somethin' out, then." Gwen huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"B-but you're younger than-"

"I'm just sayin', I don't… I don't want nobody stickin' their neck out for me like that," She said quietly. Bobby frowned and glanced over at her.

"Neither do I, but… _you_ did, for me." He reminded her. Gwen's brow furrowed slightly.

"…I just don't like guys like that, I guess." She said with a shrug. "Besides, ain't like you was gonna stick up for yourself."

"Still… th-they're my problem. Nobody else's…" Bobby muttered.

"So do somethin' 'bout it. You stood up for me, why not for you too?" The girl asked. Bobby's face scrunched up in thought; finally, he sighed and shook his head.

"…I don't know," He admitted. "I-I just… didn't want you getting h-hurt because of me. I can't do much, but… i-if someone's in trouble I should do _something,_ right…?" Gwen pursed her lips, glancing over at the quiet boy beside her. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized that he was far from the coward she'd had him pegged as. Meek, timid, perhaps even a bit neurotic… but cowardly? No… he was more like Lemy than perhaps even he knew.

"Well, hey… it was still pretty cool." She said with a smirk, giving the boy a playful punch on the arm. "What ya did back there, I mean. Y'did good, Bobblehead." Bobby averted his eyes, smiling sheepishly.

"…You, too." He muttered, before awkwardly clearing his throat and getting to his feet.

"A-anyway… sorry about all this. S-should we go…?" He asked, offering his hand to Gwen. The girl looked at his hand for a moment, then up to his gentle face. She chuckled and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet.

"Y'know… whadda ya say we forget the movie?" Gwen offered. "Probably already started by now, anyway." Bobby blinked.

"Um… a-are you sure…?" He asked. "I-it's not far from here, so if we left now-"

"It's fine… honestly, I didn't really wanna see it in the first place." She said with a shrug. It wasn't a lie; as usual, her sole reason for going was that Lemy and Lina were going to be there. But, for some reason… it didn't seem all that important right now. "Tell ya what. How 'bout we hit the Burpin' Burger? My treat."

"Uh… s-sure…!" Bobby said, trying his best to hide the excitement in his voice. He never HAD been one to turn down a free burger, after all. Besides, all that pedaling had worked up an appetite.

"Figured you'd be down." The boy walked his bike back onto the trail and climbed on, Gwen once again sitting behind him and holding him around his midsection. "And afterwards, howsabout I teach ya a thing or two about fightin'?"

"…I-I'm not like that, Gwen." Bobby said as he set off. "I don't want to fight anyone..."

"Oh, stop bein' such a goody-two shoes," Gwen groaned, rolling her eyes. "Besides, after that little stunt ya pulled, I don't think you're gonna have much of a choice." Bobby swallowed, the color draining from his face in an instant.

"…O-oh… r-r-right…"

* * *

 **Saturday Sundae**

"I got in a fight yesterday."

"A fight? A-are you hurt?" Bobby asked. The girl sitting opposite him glanced up from her sundae with a cocked eyebrow.

"Do I _look_ hurt, Bobby?" Gwen deadpanned. Bobby coughed and returned to his own sundae.

"I guess not…" The boy mumbled. "So what happened?"

"Ah, some second-grader was flippin' skirts at recess. He tried it on me, so I laid 'im out." She said nonchalantly. "Got 'im right in the schnoz, too. Poor shmuck was bleedin' all over the place." Gwen chuckled, as though the memory were highly amusing to her. Bobby just grimaced as he looked down at the dark red cherry sauce topping his ice cream; somehow, it just didn't look all that appetizing right now.

"That, uh… that seems a bit harsh, Gwen…"

"What? He deserved it." Gwen said with a shrug. "Maybe next time he'll think twice before pervin' on girls." Well, Bobby couldn't argue with that… most kids would know better than to mess with Gwen Miller, lest they find themselves on the receiving end of her legendary right hook. Clearly, this kid had not heeded those warnings.

Bobby and Gwen had been 'together' for a little over a month now… or _pretending_ to be, at least. Thus far her attempts to make Lemy jealous had proven ineffective, and in fact he seemed to be highly supportive of the couple. It wasn't that Bobby _minded_ his 'dates' with Gwen; in fact, though rough around the edges, he found that he actually kind of enjoyed her company. But he couldn't help but wonder how much longer this was meant to go on for. Lemy clearly wasn't interested, and heck, most of the time he wasn't even around to _see_ them on their dates. Today, they found themselves at the local ice cream parlor, and once again Lemy was nowhere in sight.

"Yo, somethin' wrong?" Gwen asked, noticing that her 'boyfriend' seemed to be lost in thought. "Lookin' kinda spaced-out, there."

"Huh? Oh…" Bobby snapped out of his daze, giving a small nod. "Y-yeah… I'm fine." He took another spoonful of his quickly-melting ice cream, being sure to scoop around what he could now only see as nosebleed sauce. "Hey, Gwen… is Lemy supposed to be coming by here today?"

"Lemy…? Not that I know of. Why?" She replied. Bobby furrowed his brow in confusion.

"So… what're we doing here, then…?"

"…Gettin' ice cream?" Gwen seemed legitimately perplexed by this line of questioning.

"Well yeah, but the whole point of this is to get Lemy jealous, right?" Bobby asked. Gwen chuckled, giving a small shrug of her shoulders.

"Ah, I've been over him for a while now." She said plainly. Bobby stared at her with his jaw agape, completely baffled by her response.

"Y-you're over him…?!" Bobby stammered. "Then why're we still doing this?" Gwen frowned, leaning forward and resting her chin on her palm.

"…I dunno. B-because I want to, I guess." The girl mumbled through a mouthful of her sundae.

"You…" Bobby blinked. "…Y-you _want_ to?"

"Y'got a problem with that, Bobblehead...?" Gwen averted her eyes and idly spooned at her ice cream, her cheeks turning a light pink. Bobby could feel his own cheeks heating up too.

"U-um..." Bobby said with a shy smile. "I… I guess not." For a few moments neither said anything further, until Bobby felt a hand slide into his. He glanced up, his eyes meeting Gwen's as a small smirk crossed her face.

"...Good."


	6. Collection 1

**Lemy's Hell**

"Jesus fucking Christ…" Lemy felt his stomach turn as he watched Pyramid Head forcing itself upon one of the mannequin enemies… one of _many_ things that had made his stomach turn thus far, in fact. As much as he liked video games, this one was one of the most horrifying things he'd ever experienced. And when the horrible creature turned its attention towards _him,_ his heart began pounding in his chest. "Oh shit, oh _shit!"_

"Relax, Lemy." Loan said calmly from beside him. "It's a cutscene… he can't hurt you." Lemy swallowed, glancing over at his big sister; she looked completely relaxed, even wearing a small smile on her face. Given her troubled past, he had no idea how she was able to handle the game's violent sexual imagery… and yet, somehow she had managed to beat the game on her own several times in the past.

As scared as he was, Lemy felt strangely driven to keep playing. The story and themes, while disturbing, were undoubtedly compelling. Bobby on the other hand had tapped out about fifteen minutes into the game. As much as he would have liked for his little brother to stay as extra support, he wasn't particularly surprised… Bobby had always been a sensitive boy.

He had to admit, it was impressive just how scary the game was even when nothing was happening; the atmosphere was just so oppressive and imposing that he was shaking with fear the whole time through. Thankfully, Loan was more than happy to guide him through it. Her presence was comforting to say the least.

"Just _what_ do you think you're _doing?!"_ A feminine voice screeched from the doorway, making him yelp and nearly jump out of his seat. It was Lyra, of course… and she looked _pissed._ She stormed down the basement stairs and snatched the controller out of her brother's hand, carelessly chucking it aside and glaring angrily at Loan.

"L-Lyra, please don't throw-"

"Quiet, you!" Lyra hissed, scooping Lemy up into her arms like a ragdoll. "He's trembling, Loan! How could you let a child play something so inappropriate?!" Loan swallowed and shrunk back slightly.

"I-I was just… he… um…" Loan stammered sheepishly, hanging her head in shame.

"Lyra, stop! I'm fine!" Lemy said in protest, struggling in vain against his big sister's grasp. "Don't yell at Loan, she didn't do anything wrong!" Lyra glared down at her brother, silencing him, before shifting her focus to the frightened woman before her. _Now_ Loan looked scared. Lyra sighed and turned away; she knew she shouldn't yell at her. She didn't know any better, after all.

"Let's go, Lemy." She muttered, carrying him off. " _You_ are coming to church with me this Sunday."

"Oh come on…!" Lemy whined to no avail, and the two left Loan to sulk on her own.

That night, Lemy's dreams were plagued with visions of Silent Hill… he was lost in the terrifying fog-coated streets, barely able to see more than a few feet in front of him. And then, he saw it: a fleshy, feminine figure with an eyeless head shaped liked a crucifix, lurching his way out of the fog with an inhuman shriek. Lemy screamed in fear, raising his pistol and firing several shots before running out of ammo; he managed to wound the creature, but it did little besides anger it further. He tried to switch to his pipe, but it was too late. The monster threw itself upon him, smothering him, choking the very life out of him. He tried to scream, but he couldn't breathe. Everything was going dark...

Lemy suddenly awoke with a jolt. He sat up, breathing heavily and coated with sweat. He swallowed, taking a moment to compose himself… that had been the most terrifying nightmare he'd had in a long time. Once the pounding in his chest had subsided, Lemy glanced across the room at Bobby's bed. Thankfully, he was still sleeping soundly; Lemy was grateful that his yelp of fear hadn't wakened the boy. The soft, gentle snoring from the lower bunk confirmed that Lyle was still asleep as well. With a sigh, the young metalhead got up and carefully made his way down the ladder. He wouldn't be able to get back to sleep any time soon, and besides… his bladder was so full to bursting that he was lucky he hadn't wet himself in terror. Lemy left his room and quietly tiptoed his way to the bathroom, not wanting to wake any of his siblings… _especially_ Lyra.

Once he'd relieved himself he sighed in contentment and returned to the hallway, only to pause as he reached for the doorknob. He'd almost forgotten about Loan… the poor woman's feelings had no doubt been hurt by Lyra's outburst. Lemy clicked his tongue in irritation; he knew Lyra meant well, but she had never been particularly understanding of Loan's sensitive nature. She was usually awake at this hour, so Lemy chewed his lip in consideration before heading down the stairs, through the dining room and kitchen to the basement door. He gave it a gentle knock.

"…Come in…" Came his sister's quiet response. Lemy frowned; as expected, she sounded upset. With a sigh, he opened the door and headed in.

"Hey, Loan… you okay?" He asked. Loan was lying on her bed, and she looked up at him as he entered. Her eyes were red and it looked like she'd been crying. "What's wrong…?"

"…I'm sorry." Loan mumbled. "I-I never meant to scare you, I-"

"No! No… it's fine." He assured her, thinking it best not to tell her about his nightmare. "Lyra was just… you know. Being Lyra. Honestly, it was scary, but… I was having fun, too." Loan sniffed and rubbed at her eyes.

"…You were?"

"Of course I was! I always have fun playing games with you." Lemy said with a smile, to which Loan gave him a shaky smile of her own. "Actually… I'd like to keep going, if you're up for it.

"Y-you would…?" Loan gasped, sitting upright. "A-are you sure?" Lemy nodded. "Well… okay. I, um… I saved after you left, so you won't have to replay anything…"

"Great," Lemy said with a chuckle. "Always knew I could count on you." Loan grinned and shuffled her way to the end of the bed, patting the space beside her. It was going to be a scary night… but Lemy was fine with that.

* * *

 **Going Viral**

"Wh-why am I the one d-d-doing this, again…?" Bobby stammered, his trembling hands clutching the handlebars of his bike; he was perched atop a tall, makeshift ramp that creaked beneath his feet with even the slightest hint of movement, and quite frankly it was taking every bit of willpower he had not to pass out from fear.

"Because you can ride a bike," Lemy answered from the ground below. "I can't, and Lacy's in no condition to do it either." He gestured with his thumb towards his sister, her arm bound tightly in a plaster cast. Bobby's brow furrowed as he laid eyes on it.

"R-right… a-and why are we doing this at _all?"_

"You kidding? Stunt videos are all the rage, bro." Lemy said with a smirk. "If we go viral, we'll be raking in the dough in no time." Lacy nodded in agreement.

"You've got this, Bobby. I believe in you!" She said, smiling brightly.

"…And if I _don't_ 'got this'?" Bobby asked. Lacy and Lemy exchanged a glance.

"Er… don't worry about that, BJ. You'll make it. And besides… I bet Gwen will think it's _really_ cool." The metalhead replied with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Bobby blushed a light pink and looked away quickly.

"Um… y-you're sure this is safe…?" Bobby muttered, once again studying the task laid before him. He was to ride his bike down the rickety slope, launch off a ramp at the bottom, and somehow manage to clear a massive burning pile of leaves to land on a ramp at the other side. Heck, he could barely even _see_ the other side through all the smoke.

"It's fine, it's fine," Lemy said with a dismissive wave of his hand. " _We_ haven't gotten killed yet, right?" Quite frankly, that answer did little to ease the young boy's worries… but on the other hand, he _did_ want to impress Loan. Bobby swallowed the lump in his throat.

"…A-alright…" Bobby mumbled. Lemy grinned broadly.

"Right on, man. Lizy, you ready?" Lemy asked his younger sister, who was standing nearby with her camcorder in hand. She gave him a thumbs-up and he looked back towards his brother. "Okay, Bobby. You remember your intro, right?" Bobby gave a small nod. "Great. Whenever you're ready, bro." Bobby's eyes remained firmly locked on the ramp, beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead; somehow, it seemed even steeper than it had before. The boy took a deep breath to steady his nerves. _They're right, Bobby. You can do this,_ He told himself. _And then maybe Gwen will…_ He shook his head to dispel the thought. He needed to focus. Bobby looked to the heavens, touching his forehead, stomach, and shoulders in a sign of the cross. Without further ado, he tore his eyes away and looked towards the camera.

"H-hi," He began in a trembling voice. "I'm B-B-Bobby Loud, a-and this is the… the…" Bobby trailed off, his eyes widening as his attention was suddenly drawn somewhere off to the side.

"Bobby? What're you waiting-" As Lemy and Lacy followed his gaze, they saw something that made their blood run cold: Ronnie Anne was standing at the back door, her teeth clenched and eyes blazing with fury. "...Oh, no." Lemy whimpered.

" _RUN!"_ Lacy shrieked, taking off faster than he had ever seen her run before… far more so than he could ever hope to match. Nonetheless, he wheeled around and followed after her as fast as he could.

"Shitshitshitshitshi-" It was no use: Ronnie was upon him in seconds, and he let out a frightened yelp as he found himself roughly yanked off his feet.

" _¿¡Y TÚ QUIÉN TE CREES!?"_ Ronnie screeched as she tossed the boy around like a ragdoll. " _¡TE MATARÉ Y BAILARÉ EN TU SANGRE, CHICO BLANCO!"_

" _I-I'm sorry, I-"_ Lemy let out a cry of pain as Ronnie continued her merciless onslaught. Bobby sighed, sitting down at the edge of the platform and watching the beatdown unfold. It wasn't like he could do much to intervene anyway.

"W-well… hopefully _this_ will go viral, at least…" He muttered. Lizy giggled, her camera trained firmly on the carnage playing out before them.

"Making videos is fun!"

* * *

 **Lizy's Nightmare**

It was another late night for Loan; well, _every_ night was a late night for Loan. She wasn't exactly what one would call a good sleeper, as the ever-present dark creases under her eyes would attest to. Tonight, she was playing Resident Evil – the remake, specifically – for the eighth time. She'd just meant to throw it on for a bit to show Lemy earlier, but had quickly gotten invested in the game and had already cleared Chris' route.

Loan chuckled under her breath as a door swung open with a loud _BANG_ , revealing a zombie hidden behind it. Despite the late hour, she wasn't scared; she'd played the game enough to memorize every scare, every enemy, ever triggerable event-

 _ **CREAK**_

Loan froze. _That_ hadn't been from the game. She turned towards her door just in time to see a small shape charging directly towards her like a bat out of Hell. Loan's shriek of terror was cut short as the figure dove headfirst into her chest, knocking the air from her lungs and making her fall back against her bed.

"Wh-wh-wha…?!" Loan sputtered, looking down at the trembling mass lying atop her. "L-Lizy…?" Indeed, it was Lizy… the little girl was whimpering and sniffling into her big sister's sweater. "Lizy, what's wrong?!" Loan asked. She received no response, or at least not an intelligible one; Lizy simply let out a pitiful whine and buried herself further into Loan's chest. Loan frowned and gently patted the girl's back until she calmed down enough to speak.

"I-I-I-I-"

"Shh… i-it's okay. Just, um… just try to breathe, okay…?" Loan said softly. She wasn't sure what had Lizy so rattled, but years of recurring panic attacks had given her some insight on how to deal with someone in such a state. "Did you, um… did you have a bad dream?" Lizy sniffled and nodded.

"Y-yeah…" The distraught girl mumbled. Considering that Lizy regularly watched monster movies without as much as batting an eye, Loan was almost scared to ask what could sort of nightmare could have scared her so badly. In any case, she knew she wasn't the right person to deal with this.

"Hey… how about we go see Lyra, okay? I-I bet she could help." She offered, but her sister whimpered again and shook her head. Loan frowned. She wasn't exactly sure what she should do… comfort was something far better suited for Lyra or Liena or, heck, _anyone_ else really. Still, she wasn't about to force the issue. "Do you want to talk about it…?"

"…Okay…" Lizy muttered as she wiped at her eyes. She slid off of her sister's chest and sat beside her, anxiously fidgeting with the hem of her pajama top. "U-um… somethin'… happened."

"What happened?" Loan asked as she too sat upright. Lizy sniffled again.

"I-I dunno." The toddler said. "Ev'rythin' was… broke. Like in Godzilla, b-but… Godzilla wasn't there. Ev'rythin' gone, a-and nobody around… not you, not mommy, not Leia… n-nobody." Lizy sniffled and scrunched up her brow, trying her best not to start crying again. "I-I was alone and scared, and n-n-nobody was…!"

"Shhhh… it's alright, Lizy." Loan pulled her little sister into a gentle embrace. Lizy began sobbing into her chest again, soaking the older woman's sweater with tears, but she didn't mind. "It's okay… I'm here. Everyone's here. You don't have anything to be scared of…"

"B-b-but e-everyone was-"

"Okay. Everyone's okay." Loan assured her. "It was just a dream. None of us are going anywhere." The distraught child clung to her even tighter, and Loan began to stroke her hair.

"I-I heard that dreams are s'posed to mean things…" Lizy whimpered. She looked up at her big sister with tear-filled eyes. "D-d-does that mean that it's really gonna happen…?" Loan couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

"Of course not… I've had dreams a lot like that too, you know?"

"Y-you have…?" Lizy stammered.

"I have. I-I think… most people have. It just means that you're afraid of being alone… of losing everyone you care about." Loan gave a reassuring smile and gently wiped away the girl's tears. "But you have nothing to worry about. We're not going anywhere… not me, or your mom, or anyone else."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart," Loan said with a grin. Lizy sniffled and returned it with a smile of her own. "Do you feel better now?"

"Y-yeah... I think so." Lizy said. "Thank you, Loan…" She gave her sister a big hug, one that she gladly returned. "And, um… sorry I bothered you…"

"You don't have to apologize. I wasn't really doing anything important, you know…?"

"Well, um…" Lizy began, fidgeting sheepishly. "Can I… can I sleep with you tonight?" Loan's smile faltered for a brief moment. She _had_ wanted to get back to her game… but Lizy needed her right now, darn it. What kind of big sister would she be to say no?

"Of course."

"Yay! Sleepover!" The little girl cheered as she practically dove under the covers. Lizy's excitement killed whatever second thoughts Loan may have had. "Um, you can keep playing your game if you want… I don't mind." Loan frowned and glanced over at the TV; the game was still idling at the pause menu, and she hadn't hit a save point in quite some time. Still… that was the last thing on her mind right now.

"...It's okay," Loan said, picking up the remote and switching the TV off. "I… think I could use some sleep myself." She settled back and Lizy snuggled up against her happily. Loan smiled and gave her a peck on the forehead, making the toddler giggle. "Goodnight, Lizy."

"Goodnight… and, um, Loan…?"

"Yeah?" Loan asked.

"Well… maybe itsa good thing t' be scared of. L-losing everyone, I mean…" She mumbled. "'Cause… that means y'have people _to_ lose, right…?" Loan blinked, considering the girl's words a moment before giving a small giggle.

"Yeah… it does."

* * *

 **Chasing the Baby**

Lyle raised his bow, his eyes firmly trained on the target across the yard. This was the greatest distance he had tried thus far, but he was certain he could do it… he hadn't been practicing so hard for nothing, after all. He took a deep breath then exhaled halfway, drawing back the bowstring. Just as he was about to let go, a loud _SNAP_ sounded out from behind him. He yelped and jumped, jerking his bow to the side and missing the target completely; the arrow instead struck the fence about a foot to the right of the target. Lyle clicked his tongue in frustration.

"What's the big id-" Lyle began angrily as he turned to berate his intruder, only to find that it was none other than Liena. His furious glare softened in an instant. "O-oh… Liena, you shouldn't distract me like that when I'm drawing my bow. It's dangerous."

(I'm sorry,) Liena signed, bowing her head apologetically. Her muteness meant that she had to rely on other means to get people's attention, and snapping her fingers was a favorite method of hers. It was surprisingly loud as well, but Lyle figured it was only natural she'd get good at it.

"…It's fine. Did you need something?" Lyle asked, and his big sister perked up instantly.

(Yes, I do.) She signed. (I need to head to the store real quick, would you mind watching Lulu for me?

"Lulu…?" As if on cue, the infant peeked out from behind Liena's shoulder. Lyle frowned; the boy was many things, but babysitter was not one of them. Even if he _was,_ Lulu was unpredictable at the best of times, and few besides Liena knew how to keep her under control.

"Er… wouldn't one of the others be better suited for this?" He asked. "She's close with Bobby, isn't she?"

(Everyone else is out.)

" _Everyone?"_ Lyle asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Even Bed?" Their adopted sister had a surprisingly surprisingly strong bond with the little monster, after all. Unfortunately, Liena shook her head.

(She's at the mall with mom.)

"Even Loan?"

(She's with Bobby,) Liena signed. (And I don't think she'd have been able to handle it anyway. Please, Lyle… I promise I won't be long. I won't even be an hour, I just need to get a few things.) Lyle frowned and glanced over at his baby sister; she stared back, curiously tilting her head. Despite the girl's bond with Liena, he'd never spent much time with Lulu himself. He'd never been particularly fond of little kids, after all.

Granted, most would consider _him_ a little kid as well, but still. He didn't like 'em.

"…Fine." Lyle groaned. He never _could_ say no to Liena. The chubby girl beamed brightly at her brother's acceptance.

(Thank you. I promise I'll make it up to you. Mind taking her for me?) Liena turned, exposing the baby clinging to her back; the infant turned her head nearly 180 degrees to look at him, making Lyle shudder.

"Uh… sure…" As Lyle reached towards her, Lulu tightened her grip and emitted a low, threatening growl.

" _Looloo."_ Liena scolded in an awkward, slurred voice. "Beh nyse." Lulu relaxed slightly, but her distrustful glare didn't fade for an instant. Lyle swallowed and, with no small amount of trepidation, plucked the girl off his sister's back. Immediately she started fussing and reaching out for Liena; Lyle was surprised by just how _strong_ she was for such a little girl. "Iss ohkay, Looloo." Liena said with a sweet smile. "Ah'll beh baaahk soo'." She bent down to give Lulu a peck on the forehead, earning her a giggle from the infant… then did the same to her little brother.

"…Stop that." Lyle huffed, his cheeks tinged red. Liena smiled and walked off, giving her siblings a wave goodbye before heading back into the house. Lyle sighed and looked down at the baby in his arms. She eyed him curiously, and he did have to admit that she was a cute kid, but he knew just how volatile the girl could be. Still, she was just a baby... how hard could it be? "Well…" Lyle began. "I suppose we should go insi-" Before he could finish, Lulu opened her mouth wide, her pacifier dropping to the ground. Her impossibly long tongue shot out even faster than one of Lyle's arrows, narrowly whizzing past his head and up into the air. Lyle yelped and dropped the girl, and she landed on all fours without harm.

Then, as Lulu's tongue retracted into her mouth, Lyle heard a horrible sound: loud, panicked squawking. Lyle glanced over at the end of her tongue to see that she had ensnared a crow; her tongue whipped back into her mouth with a sound not unlike the snapping of an elastic band, leaving her holding the bird within her mouth like a cat. Worse yet, the poor thing was still alive, struggling aimlessly against the girl's bite.

"H-hey… Lulu, you put that down." Lyle ordered, but the girl simply stared at him in silence. He decided to try and be stern, as Liena had. "Lulu," he ordered, "Drop it. _Now."_ He approached his baby sister only to gasp and jump back as four spindly, spider-like limbs burst forth from her back. In an instant, she was scuttling off into the house far faster than he could hope to run. "H-hey! Get back here…!" Lyle began to follow, only to remember the pacifier; he ran back to get it, then dashed into the house. "Lulu! Where…" The telltale squawking of the confused crow led him to the kitchen, where he found Lulu huddled in the corner with the unfortunate creature still held in her mouth. Lyle swallowed and slowly approached the girl with his palms raised. "Easy, Lulu… easy." He cooed in a gentle, sing-song voice; Lulu tilted her head slightly, and for a moment he thought he was getting through to her. "How about you let that go, okay? I'll get you a snack, and-"

Then, in a flash, the infant's jaw split open into an insect-like mandible and snapped shut over the poor bird. It let out one final screech before it was cut off by a sickening _CRUNCH,_ making her half-brother cringe. A single drop of blood rolled down her lip before she licked it off, and Lyle felt like he was going to vomit.

"O-okay, that's… horrifying, but you're good now, right?" The feminine boy asked as Lulu chewed her prey, not taking her eyes off him for even a single moment. Lyle resumed his slow approach, doing his best to seem as non-threatening as possible. "Come on, now… let's go, uh, watch some Barney or something, okay?" Just as he reached for her, the girl leapt away, kicking off from the wall and flying right past him. She landed on the countertop and clumsily scrambled along it, her chitinous limbs slipping and sliding against the slick marble, sending several pots and pans clattering to the floor. She hopped back to the ground and scurried out of the room. "Dammit," Lyle hissed, taking a brief moment to rinse the pacifier off in the sink before rushing after her. As expected, the girl was nowhere to be found in the dining room, nor in the living room; knowing Lulu, chances were she had run back to her hive. Lyle ran upstairs and to the room she shared with Liena, only to find it was locked. _So much for that,_ he thought. Then he heard a hacking sound similar to someone trying to cough up phlegm, and turned just in time to narrowly dodge a wad of webbing from Lulu. It hit Liena's door, effectively gluing it shut. "Got you now…!" Lyle dove for the girl in an attempt to grab her, but she easily slipped free and scurried back down the stairs. Lyle growled in frustration as he hurried after her, only to hear that the girl was gleefully laughing as she ran… this was nothing more than a fun game to her. Not that it made it any more bearable to the irritable young boy. Needless to say, 'chasing down a mutant' was not how he had expected to be spending his day.

This game of cat-and-mouse continued for what felt like hours, but couldn't have been much more than thirty minutes or so. It was always the same: she would slow down, he would try to catch her, and she would narrowly escape his grasp, and she would scurry off to another part of the house with a childish giggle. It didn't take long for Lyle to realize that Lulu was _toying_ with him. He followed the laughter into the kitchen again, panting and out of breath; he was an active and physically fit young boy, but even he had his limits. However, the girl was nowhere to be seen; Lyle's brow furrowed and he looked left, right, up, behind him, everywhere… but to no avail. Another giggle drew his attention, this time coming from the small hallway just past the peeked around the corner to find that the basement door was wide open. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised that the infant knew how to open doors, all things considered. Lyle fetched a flashlight from the kitchen's 'junk drawer' before taking a deep breath and venturing down into the nearly pitch-black basement… even Loan's computer was powered down. He shut the door behind him to at least _try_ and keep the girl contained.

"Lulu…?" He asked nervously; another gleeful giggle rang out and echoed throughout the basement. Lyle swallowed and whipped his flashlight around in vain, catching no more than split-second glimpses of the little monster before she disappeared into the darkness. "Come on, uh... cutie… enough games, alright?" He carefully approached the light in the center of the room, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest as Lulu's laughter only grew louder and more frequent. Then, just as he neared the light, it stopped. Lyle stood in place, glancing around quickly with his flashlight, but he couldn't see her at all. He chewed his lip anxiously, reaching out for the cord and pulling it to bathe the basement in a dim light. However, despite the entire room now being visible, he couldn't see Lulu anywhere. "Lulu? Where…?" Lyle trailed off as he heard a sound that chilled him to the bone: a steady, threatening rattling coming from behind him. He spun around, initially seeing nothing, but then looked up. Lulu was hanging upside- down from the ceiling, her insectoid limbs vibrating rapidly; she was staring at him with glowing green eyes and her lips pulled back into a threatening, fanged snarl. "…Oh God." Lyle whimpered.

With an animalistic screech, Lulu pounced at the boy. Lyle let out a girlish shriek of terror; he put his hands up to protect his face, but Lulu dove into his chest instead, knocking him to the ground. Lyle squeezed his eyes shut, awaiting his inevitable demise. He could only hope that she'd make it quick and painless. However, instead of attacking him, she simply nuzzled against his chest with an affectionate coo. Lyle blinked in surprise, then let out a sigh of relief.

"O-oh… you just wanted to cuddle." Lyle couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation; of _course_ she wouldn't hurt one of her siblings. Not intentionally, anyway. He pulled himself to his feet, picking up the little girl and giving her a hug that she gladly returned. "Okay… enough playtime, okay? Let's go wait for Liena." Lulu didn't protest, and he headed back up the stairs and through the kitchen with her in his arms. Looking down at the baby snuggling against his chest, he couldn't help but smirk slightly. When she was calm, she was just like any other infant… it was almost hard to believe she could be so monstrous. She began to squirm in his arms, then climbed over his shoulder onto his back, much like she had with Liena. "W-whoa… easy there," Lyle said with a chuckle. "I'm not as big as-" Lyle let out a yelp as he suddenly felt a strong pull on his hair, yanking his head back. " _OW!"_ He cried, "W-what're you…?!" His eyes went wide as he heard a repeated swallowing sound; Lulu was trying to eat his hair. " _HEY, LULU, STOP!"_ Unsurprisingly, the girl did not heed his orders. Instead, she simply began swallowing faster, painfully pulling his head back further and further. He desperately cried out for help in the hope that someone might hear him, but it was no use: all he could do was wildly flail in an attempt to shake her off.

" _LOOLOO, NO!"_ The swallowing stopped, and a moment later Lyle felt his baby sister being lifted off of him, making a disgusting retching sound as his hair was pulled from her throat. She began to whine from the uncomfortable sensation, even as Liena pulled her into her arms; Lyle had been so panicked that he hadn't even heard her enter. He let out a sigh of relief as Liena gently shushed the fussing child. "Lahyl. Pashifya."

"O-oh… right." Lyle had nearly forgotten; he withdrew the pacifier from his pocket and handed it to Liena, who immediately popped it into Lulu's mouth. Within seconds she stopped crying, and soon she fell asleep in her big sister's arms. "Took you long enough…" Lyle grumbled. Liena rolled her eyes and carried the infant over to the sofa, carefully laying her down before turning back to her brother.

(Are you okay?)

"I think so…" Lyle muttered. "How's my hair?" Liena peeked around to his back, only to let out a startled gasp.

"Uh-oh."

"Uh oh…? What's uh-oh?!" Lyle reached behind his back and grasped a length of his beautiful hair… or _formerly_ beautiful, at least. To his horror, the bottom six inches or so were horribly burnt and frayed from Lulu's powerful stomach acids. "Oh, well that is just _fantastic."_ He groaned.

(It's okay,) Liena signed with a small, nervous chuckle. (We'll just cut off that bit and it will grow back in no time.) Lyle huffed and crossed his arms. She wasn't wrong… all things considered, it wasn't that big of a deal.

Still annoying, though.

(Everything else go well?)

"…I guess." Lyle grumbled.

(Thank you. I really appreciate it.) Liena smiled sweetly, but Lyle simply looked away with a huff.

"W-well for the record, I am _never_ doing that again." He said with a flamboyant wave of his hand. Liena just giggled and, to his chagrin, gave him another kiss on the forehead before picking up her shopping bag from the ground and heading to the kitchen. Lyle sighed and sat down on the couch beside Lulu. He was exhausted… he knew the little monster was a handful, but quite frankly he had no idea how Liena managed it. He looked down at the sleeping infant with a small frown. He DID love her, as he loved all his siblings… even the ones he claimed to hate. But, he meant what he'd said: never again. He let out another sigh and looked away.

" _Lyle."_

Lyle froze; that hadn't been Liena's voice. It was an _unfamiliar_ voice, somehow sounding both high and low, with a shaky, raspy timbre. What more, it sounded like it had come from right next to him. Slowly, he turned to look at Lulu once more… and sure enough, the girl was staring at him with those glowing green eyes, her pacifier held in her hand.

" _That was fun,"_ She hissed, a knowing, coy smile adorning her cherubic face. " _Let's play again sometime."_ With that, she placed the pacifier back in her mouth and shut her eyes once more. Lyle could only stare dumbfounded at his baby sister. Surely, he thought, that must have been his imagination.

But, either way… something told him he didn't have much say in the matter.

* * *

 **Contact High**

For the most part, Bobby was a creature of comfort… he preferred to stay close to home when possible. But he'd always liked going up to the city with his mother; even he appreciated a change of scenery every so often. Besides, given the unusual nature of the Loud household, these visits were pretty much the only way he got to see his mother's side of the family. Couldn't have them catching wise to what was really going on, after , however, Ronnie had come for another reason: Nikki. She had just moved back home from California and the two women wanted to catch up. Bobby knew her well enough himself… whenever she'd come to visit family she'd been sure to make time to visit her old friend Ronnie as well.

"Heeeyyy, Ronnie!" Nikki greeted her friend as she opened the door, pulling the Latina into a big hug. "Been ages, girl!"

"Too long, Nikki." Ronnie returned the hug as only she could, squeezing the taller woman so hard that Bobby swore he could hear her spine pop. Not that it seemed to faze her, of course.

"And get a load of you!" Nikki said as she crouched down to ruffle Bobby's hair. "How've you been, lil' buddy?"

"Hi, aunt Nikki." Bobby muttered with a small smile. "…I'm good."

"Ah, c'mon… you can just call me Nikki. 'Aunt' makes me feel old, y'know?" She said with a chuckle. "Wow, though. You just get taller and taller each time I see you… I swear, one of these days you're gonna be taller than me." Nikki said.

"Nikki, he'll be lucky if he even comes up to your shoulders," Ronnie teased as they stepped into her friend's apartment. "Where's Vikki?"

"Oh, yeah… hey, Vikki!" The lanky woman called out. "Come say hello, will you?"

"Yyyyyeaaah, one sec!" Came a sleepy drawl from elsewhere in the apartment. Bobby swallowed the lump in his throat; this was what he'd been dreading. Though he'd grown familiar with Nikki over the years, her daughter was another matter. He'd only met her once or twice his entire life, and from what little he could remember of those encounters she'd been surly to say the least. A moment later, a nearby door creaked open and a tall, tanned blonde shuffled out, looking as though she'd just been woken from the world's greatest nap. She stretched and yawned loudly, then just kind of... stood there for a moment, as though she'd forgotten exactly what she had meant to be doing.

"Vikki! Yo, Vikki, over here!" Nikki snapped her fingers, chuckling under her breath. Vikki blinked and glanced over. Her gaze lingered on their two guests for a second before a lazy grin crossed her face.

"Yoooo, aunt Ronnie! 'Sup?" Vikki swaggered over and gave the woman a hug.

"Hey Vikki, it's so good to -" Ronnie began, only to pause as a strong scent met her nostrils. She leaned away and coughed into her palm. "Good Lord, you smell like a Woodstock festival."

"Yeeeaahhh, I get that a lot." Vikki chuckled. Ronnie shot her friend an unimpressed glare, but Nikki simply laughed.

"Were we any different at her age?" She said with a shrug. Ronnie sighed, then smirked at the spaced-out teen.

"I guess not. Anyway, you're looking good, Vik'." The Latina said, giving the girl a playful jab to the shoulder. "Oh… you remember Bobby, right?"

"Bob…?" Vikki glanced down, only now noticing the small boy partially hidden behind his mother's leg. Her brow furrowed, and the wheels turned in her head for a moment before the recognition hit. "Oh yeahhh… 'sup, lil' dude?"

"Don't be rude, Bobby. Say hello." Ronnie gently pushed the boy towards her, despite his best attempts to resist.

"U-um…" Bobby stammered as he looked up at the girl. "…Hi…" Vikki smirked and squatted down to his level, or as close as she could manage anyway; even then she practically towered above him.

"Wha's good, B?" Vikki asked. "Been, like… a long time." Bobby swallowed and silently nodded.

"Sorry… he's shy." Ronnie said apologetically. Vikki just laughed and waved her off.

"S'no problem. Here, B, high five." She said, raising her palm.

"Um…" Bobby hesitated a moment, then slowly raised his own hand and tapped it against hers. Vikki's grin broadened and she lowered her hand, this time with the palm facing up.

"Down low," Vikki said. "Too sl-" She was cut off by Bobby once again tapping his palm against hers. She looked at her hand in confusion for a moment before letting out a small laugh. "Heh… f'rgot to move it." Bobby had no idea what to make of this girl. The Vikki he remembered had been irritable and dour, but now she seemed so mellow that even Lupa looked high-strung by comparison.

"Vikki, you wouldn't mind keeping him company for a bit, would you?" Nikki asked.

"Yeah, I don't mind hangin' with the lil' guy. He's cool."

"I-I, uh… I don't think I'd say that…"

"Yeah, see? He's so cool he doesn't even know he's cool." Vikki smirked and ruffled Bobby's hair, to his chagrin. On the plus side, it wasn't like it could get any messier.

"I guess we'll leave you guys to it, then."

"…Are you sure this is a good idea…?" Ronnie leaned in and muttered into her friend's ear. "You know… with all the-"

"Chill, Ron'. Vikki's got this, don't ya girl?"

"S'ain't nothin'. We already high-fived, right? That basically means we're, like, broskis." Vikki said as she got back to her feet. "C'mon, B. Lemme show ya my pad." She walked off, and Bobby glanced back to his mother for support; she simply nodded and motioned for him to follow. Bobby sighed and reluctantly followed the girl to her room; he was already starting to regret not choosing to stay home and help Lemy with one of his dangerous stunts like Reina had.

Vikki's room was tiny, to say the least… only slightly bigger than walk-in closet. Heck, maybe it had been one at one point. Her bed was little more than a twin-sized mattress lying on the floor. It was also an absolute mess, perhaps even more so than Loan's room; the floor was covered with discarded clothes, magazines and trash, and the entire room seemed to have a faint haze hanging over it.

"Ugh…" Bobby muttered, covering his nose. "It smells weird…"

"I know, right? Good stuff." Vikki casually flopped down onto the mattress and reached over to switch on the radio. "Torche, excellent." She said with a smirk. "Don't just stand there, B, c'mon in! Take a load off."

"R-right…" Bobby meekly shuffled into the room, trying his best to avoid tripping over any of the clutter. "Um… where should I…"

"Wherever you want, dude! Ain't no rules here."

"O…kay…" Bobby fidgeted awkwardly before sitting down on the end of the mattress. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to sit, after all. "Um… sorry we woke you up, by the way..."

"Nah, I wasn't sleepin'." Vikki said. "I was just veggin' out." Bobby raised an eyebrow.

"Vegging out…?"

"Yeah… see that stain?" Vikki pointed up to a brownish-gray spot on the ceiling. "I was tryin' to, like, decide if it looked more like Dave Grohl or an eggplant, and then it was, like… now." Bobby looked up at the stain and squinted.

"It… just looks like a stain to me." He muttered. Vikki pursed her lips and stared at it for a moment, then shrugged.

"Damn, you're right. Wish you'd been around earlier, B, coulda saved me a whole lotta trouble." Vikki chuckled under her breath.

"…How long were staring at that for...?"

"Eh, I 'unno. Hour or two. Had a sick mellow goin'." Vikki unrolled a half-eaten bag of chips that had been sitting beside her. "Want some?"

"N-no thank you." Bobby said; the teenaged girl shrugged and started shoveling handfuls of chips into her mouth. Bobby used the silence to take a better look around her room: nearly every square inch of the walls were covered in posters, mostly band or surfing-related. There was a surfboard propped up in one corner too. "You surf?"

"Totally. What about you, B?"

"Of course not-"

"No, I mean, what's your deal?" Vikki asked, propping herself up onto her elbows. "What kinda stuff you into, lil' dude?"

"Oh… um, nothing cool like that…" Bobby mumbled sheepishly. "Just, y'know… reading. Video games. I like sci-fi a lot…"

"Oooh, sci-fi… right on. The other day I was blazed outta my mind watchin' that, uh…" Vikki snapped her fingers a few times as she thought. "That one movie, with Bruce Willis and the stones and that blue singing chick…"

"…The Fifth Element?" Bobby asked, perking up a bit. Vikki grinned.

"That's the one," She said. "Pretty sure it's, like, my favorite thing ever now. No idea what was goin' on, though. Hey, you mind if I smoke?" Bobby frowned slightly; he hated the smell of smoke, but then again it wasn't like this was his room… besides, thanks to Lupa he was far more used to it than he would care to be.

"Sure… u-um, just don't blow it in my face, please." Bobby asked meekly. Vikki snickered and dug through her pocket.

"No worries, lil' dude. Wasn't plannin' on it." The surfer gal placed a joint between her lips and lit it, taking a long drag and holding it for a few seconds before exhaling. She was sure to blow it away from Bobby, not that it made much of a difference; it ended up spreading towards him anyway. The young boy coughed and tried to wave it away. "Whoops… uh, sorry B. Guess I shoulda had a smaller hit…"

"…It's fine…" Bobby sighed. At least it didn't smell as bad as he had expected; it didn't smell like a cigarette at all, actually. It was pungent, but earthy… the same sort of smell the room itself had, in fact, kind of like freshly-cut grass.

It was kind of starting to grow on him.

"…Actually…" Bobby muttered. "I-I guess I could go for some chips, if you don't mind…"

* * *

"…Darth Vader."

"Huh?"

"Darth Vader," Bobby repeated, lazily pointing up at the stain on the ceiling. "Looks… looks like 'im." Vikki squinted up at the stain before a wide grin spread across her face.

"Oh yeah… guess it kinda does." She said. "Good eye, B." Bobby smirked and lowered his hand, his fingers coated with a thick layer of Dorito dust. He'd spent the last half hour lying by Vikki's side, sometimes talking, sometimes not… perhaps this was that 'vegging out' she had mentioned. Whatever the case, Bobby felt far more relaxed than he had in a long time.

"S'nice…" The boy mumbled.

"What is?"

"Ev'rythin'." Bobby let out a contented sigh as he settled back into the mattress. "…Nice to just… have some peace an' quiet for once." Vikki raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah… you've got, like, a big family… right?" She asked. Bobby nodded.

"…Yeah. Two brothers, ten sisters. Well… 11, if you count Bed... but she's more of a cousin."

"Damn, B." Vikki said with an impressed whistle. "Sounds pretty bogus."

"It is. I love them, but… it kind of stresses me out, sometimes." Bobby admitted. Vikki frowned and nudged him with her elbow.

"C'mon… lil' dude like you shouldn't be stressin' out. You're like, what, ten?"

"…Seven."

"Seven? Pretty smart for your age, then." Vikki said. "Anyway, it may be kinda hectic, but at least you got 'em, right? Not everyone's so lucky…"

"Hey… something wrong…?" Bobby asked, propping himself up slightly; he could detect a note of sadness to Vikki's tone.

"…Nah." Vikki muttered, giving a small, strained smile. "Just… never really had any family besides mom. No idea who my dad even is."

"O-oh…" Bobby mumbled sheepishly. He felt bad, now. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Nah, you got nothin' to apologize for." The teen chuckled and took another hit from her joint, being sure to blow it away from the young boy beside her… not that it mattered much at this point. "Maybe it's one of those things, y'know? 'The grass is always greener on the other side' or whatever. Heh, grass…"

"N-no, it's not!" Bobby stammered. "I mean… for a long time me and Reina were kind of alone, too… we never even knew about the others until two years ago. I-it was a big change, and it's not always easy, but I'd never want to go back to the way things were before. I'm... happier now, I think."

"There, see?" Vikki said with a grin, patting the boy on his back. "You got nothin' to worry about, lil' dude. An' don't you worry about me, either. I don't let things get to me the way I used to… got my good friend Mary J. for that." Bobby smiled and nodded. He wasn't sure who this 'Mary J.' was, but she certainly seemed to be a big help for Vikki… she was nothing like the surly, irritable girl he'd met years ago.

"Thanks, Vikki…" The young boy said. "This 'Mary J.' must be pretty cool."

"Oh yeah, she's most excellent." Vikki laughed. "And you're pretty cool too, B. We should like… talk more."

"You mean… be friends?" Bobby asked. Vikki grinned.

"Yeah, dude! You got a phone?"

"Y-yes!" Bobby clumsily fumbled his pocket for his phone; he couldn't help but feel a bit excited. This was the first time he'd made a friend on his own, rather than through one of his siblings. "What's your…" Bobby trailed off, his gaze growing hazy as Vikki's last hit finally reached him. He stared down at the lock screen in silence.

"…Lil' dude?" Vikki nudged him. "You good?" Bobby shook out of his daze.

"Yeah… hey, Vikki… check it out." Bobby turned to her with a sleepy grin adorning his face. "It's, like… a Spock screen." Vikki stared at the screen with a furrowed brow: the boy's lock screen wallpaper was an image of Spock. Slowly, a wide smile spread across her face.

"Dude… you're, like, a genius." She said with a snicker.


	7. Collection 2

**Wingman**

"Will you stop looking so nervous? C'mon, dude," Lemy said, nudging him with his elbow. "Lina's a cool girl. You'll like her."

"It's just… I guess I don't really get what the point of all this is…?" Bobby muttered as he skulked along at the metalhead's side, head hung low and hands jammed into his hoodie pockets as usual. "I mean, she's already your girlfriend, isn't she?" Lemy chuckled and shrugged.

"Ah, Bobby… you just don't understand women the way I do," He boasted. "Just because you're together doesn't mean you can slack off. Not if you want it to be somethin' serious, anyway." Bobby pursed his lips in thought.

"I… _guess_ that makes sense…" He said.

"Chicks eat up the whole 'good big brother' thing. All you gotta do is tell her the truth… how cool I am, how I look out for you, how you wanna be just like me when you're older…"

"…Well, I wouldn't say _just_ like-" Bobby trailed off as the older boy shot him an annoyed look.

"Look, I just need ya to be my wingman for a bit. Besides, I've been meaning to introduce you anyway." Lemy said. "You've got a good head on your shoulders… I wanna know what you think of her." The compliment seemed to brighten Bobby's mood a bit.

"W-well, when you put it like that… I guess it's the least I could do, right?" Bobby said with a smirk. His brother grinned and clapped him on the shoulder, jostling the smaller boy slightly.

"Thanks, Beej. I owe ya one," He said as they entered Drew's sCrap. "Sup, Drew?" Lemy called out to a gruff, bearded man sitting in a folding chair outside a shack that Bobby could only assume was an office. The man didn't even look up from his newspaper as he let out a vague grunt in response. If this bothered Lemy at all, he certainly didn't show it; he simply kept on walking deeper into the scrapyard with Bobby in tow, approaching an old, decommissioned school bus sitting raised atop several dozen cinderblocks. "Yo, Lina!" Lemy said as he stepped into the dilapidated bus they called their hangout. Lina glanced up from her guitar, glaring at her boyfriend in mock annoyance.

"Took you long enough. Where've you…" Lina trailed off as she noticed the meek little boy following closely behind him. "…Who's this?"

"Lina, I'd like you to meet-" Lemy glanced over his shoulder to find that Bobby was partially hiding behind one of the seats. He sighed and dragged his brother out, pushing him towards Lina. "This is my little bro, Bobby!"

"U-um…" Bobby stammered. "…Hi…" Lina smirked and got to her feet.

"So, you're the one I've been hearing so much about." She extended her hand. "I'm Lina. Nice to meet ya." Bobby chewed his lip apprehensively, staring at her hand for a moment before extending his own. He gave her hand a quick shake and mumbled something she could only assume may have been 'you too' before shoving it back into his hoodie pocket.

"Heh, sorry… like I told you, he's shy. We're working on that though, ain't we?" Lemy chuckled as he tousled his little brother's hair, much to his chagrin.

"…Mhm." Bobby grunted.

"It's cool. It's kinda cute, honestly." Lina said with a laugh, making Bobby's cheeks flush slightly. Lina flopped back into her seat. "Anyway, chill. Make yourself comfortable."

"O-okay…" Bobby muttered.

"Wait, not-" Lina began as Bobby sat down on one of the worn-out seats only to jump up with a yelp as a loose spring jabbed him in the rear. "…That one. C'mon, here." She said, scooting over and patting the space beside her.

"Um..." Bobby glanced over at his brother as if to ask if this was okay. Lemy simply shrugged. "…Okay." The timid boy sat down beside Lina, noticeably keeping as much distance as he could, while Lemy took the seat across from theirs.

"So… Lemy talks about you a lot. I hear you two are really close."

"Oh, yeah. We're pretty much inseparable, ain't we Bobby?" Lemy said with a grin.

"Yeah…" Bobby smirked. "Um… I'm kind of a wimp, so Lemy looks out for me. He's… really great." Lemy motioned for him to keep going. "A-and, um… I wanna be just like him when I'm older…?"

"Aw, shucks, Bobby… you give me too much credit." Lemy said, his puffed-out chest and cocky smirk betraying his mock humility. "Besides, you're a pretty cool dude yourself. You'll get there eventually."

"Not a high bar to reach, really." Lina chimed in.

"Right, it's not…" Lemy trailed off as Lina's insult sank in; Lina was snickering into her palm, and Bobby seemed to be doing his best to suppress a laugh of his own. "…What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing." His girlfriend grinned and waved him off, while he simply huffed and crossed his arms. "He's right about one thing, though… you are a pretty cool dude."

"…I am?" Bobby asked, raising an eyebrow. Lina pointed at the Firefly t-shirt peeking out from his unzipped hoodie.

"You got good taste, man." She said. Bobby's face lit up slightly.

"You… you like _Firefly?"_ He asked.

"Browncoat for life." Lina said with a smirk. "Here, check this out…" The rocker girl picked up her guitar and began to strum a tune, one that Bobby recognized almost immediately.

"That's the Ballad of Serenity!" Bobby gasped. He hopped onto his knees and leaned in closer in awe, his mood shifting completely; it was as though the mere mention of one of his favorite shows had turned him into a completely different person. "You're really good!"

"Well, of course she is. She's _my_ girlfriend, after all." Lemy boasted, as though he were somehow responsible for her talent. Lina just rolled her eyes and continued playing.

"Y'know, Bobby… Lemy's a lot like Jayne Cobb, wouldn't you agree?" Lina said, nudging the boy with her elbow without missing a note. Bobby bit his lip to try and stifle a snort of laughter and gave a small nod.

"That's… that's Nathan Fillion's character, right? The cool one?" Lemy asked.

"Um…" Lina and Bobby exchanged a glance. "Y-yeah, sure. Why not." The two shared a laugh, much to Lemy's confusion… and annoyance. He may not have understood what they were talking about, but even he knew when he was the butt of a joke.

…Usually.

"It's cool that you like Firefly, though. Not most kids your age would." Lina said to Bobby.

"I-I love sci-fi. Books, movies, TV shows, all of it!" The young boy said excitedly. "My favorite's Star Trek: TNG, but I love Star Wars, and Firefly, and Stargate, and, and… um…" Bobby trailed off as his cheeks became tinged with red. "S-sorry…" He mumbled, sitting back down and averting his eyes. "I got a little… worked up." Lina giggled. She couldn't help but find his enthusiasm charming; it reminded her of how Lizy would get all excited over her monster movies. Bobby let out a yelp as she threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him to her side.

"Lemy, why didn't you tell me your lil' bro was so adorable?" Lina's compliment only made Bobby's blush deepen.

"W-well…" Lemy coughed. "Y'know… figured it went without saying, right? He's seven. O-of _course_ he's gonna be cute." Lina raised an eyebrow; something about her boyfriend's demeanor had changed. He was looking away from her slightly, brow furrowed and lips pursed in irritation.

Quite frankly, he looked salty as fuck.

A mischievous grin crossed the girl's face. Now that she had a way to tease him, she wasn't about to let it go to waste. She set her guitar aside and nestled into Bobby's side, feeling him tense up against her.

"Sssssooooo, Bobby… tell me more about you. Any girlfriends?"

"G-g-girlfriends?!" Bobby stammered.

"Yeah. I bet a cute guy like you has the girls just throwin' themselves at your feet." Lina cooed as she affectionately pinched one of his cheeks.

"U-um, I, no… I-I don't!" Bobby sputtered, trying in vain to wriggle out of the older girl's grasp. "I-"

"So you're available, then. Rockin'." Lina said with a sultry smirk, taking a quick glance in Lemy's direction; he looked so salty that it took every ounce of restraint she had not to burst out laughing.

" _Actually,"_ Lemy cut in, trying his best to sound natural. "He's kind of got a thing going on with Gwen. Ain't that _right,_ Beej?" He shot his little brother a wide, forced grin that made him look like some sort of psychopath. Bobby swallowed and nodded rapidly, mentally kicking himself for forgetting about his own 'girlfriend'.

"Y-yeah! It's just like Lemy said! I'm, uh… I-I misspoke!" He said with a nervous laugh.

"Aww… darn." Lina let out an exaggerated groan, and Bobby breathed a sigh of relief as she released him. "Althouuuuugh… I gotta ask." She shot the little boy a sly look out of the corner of her eye. "'Beej', huh? How'd you get that nickname?" Bobby's words died in his throat as she laid a hand on his thigh, and he looked to his older brother for support… only to find that Lemy was glaring them in a way he had never seen before. His eyes were wide and wild, his teeth clenched together so tightly in an unconvincing smile that he swore the boy's jaw was going to break.

"I-I-I just remembered there's something I gotta… I-I need to… um… _NICETOMEETYOUBYE!"_ Bobby scrambled out of his seat and bolted towards the front of the bus. In his haste, he failed to heed the 'watch your step' warning, and Lina winced as she heard a yelp followed by a _THUD._ "…M'alright…!" She heard him groan With the younger boy gone, Lina finally dropped the act. A very red-faced Lemy crossed his arms, sulking as his girlfriend howled with laughter.

"You done?"

"Sorry…" Lina snickered, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye… only to immediately burst out laughing again as she laid eyes on him.

"What?!"

"Dude, you are so jealous!"

"Jealous? Who's jealous?" Lemy scoffed. "I'M not jealous. He's seven. He's a cute kid. Why would I be jealous?"

"You're _so_ jealous." Lina repeated. "Look at you, all flustered and shit."

"I-I am _not…_ I… okay, I don't… ugh! Whatever!" Lemmy huffed, getting to his feet. "I need a Flippee. You com-" Lemy was cut off by a pair of arms wrapping around his neck; Lina gave him a kiss on the cheek, making him turn an even deeper shade of red.

"If it makes you feel any better, you're pretty cute yourself." She assured him. A small smirk crossed his face.

"Well… I'd say 'handsome' or 'rugged', personally."

"Oh, yeah… _so_ rugged." Lina teased. "If we're talkin' about a _bathroom_ rug, anyway." She mussed up his hair before walking past him and out of the bus, to his annoyance.

"Fuck you."

"That a promise?" She said with a wink, only to burst out laughing as her boyfriend made the same misstep his brother had and faceplanted with a _THUD._ "Tell ya what," She choked out between laughs. "Invite that little brother of yours and you've got a deal. We'll have a little ménage à trois, y'know?"

"…I hate you," Lemy grumbled, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. Lina hooked her arm around his and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Love you too. Now c'mon, I'm buyin'."

* * *

 **Atta Boy**

As silently as he could manage, Lemy opened the front door a crack and peeked inside. The coast was clear; he crept into the house, being sure to close the door slowly so as not to make a sound. Not that he had much to fear… most of his family was at work or school right now. Lemy, on the other hand? The eighteen-year-old, had dropped out a year ago. Lyra had chastised him for this, of course, but he figured he had no need for further education… besides, their mother never attended college and _she_ turned out fine.

Well… more or less.

Lemy smirked as he patted his pocket, feeling the small parcel contained within. It hadn't been cheap, but Gordon had assured him this was good stuff. His friend had always come through for him thus far. He tiptoed his way through the living room and up the stairs. He made sure to avoid the one creaky step on his way up, and soon enough he was right outside his bedroom… home free.

"Lemy." The young man practically jumped out of his skin. Lemy swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly turned to see his older sister exiting the bathroom with a small smile on her face.

"H-hey, Lyra…" Lemy stammered. Lyra raised an eyebrow.

"Welcome home. Are… you alright?" She asked. "You look kind of out of it…"

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine!" Lemy said with a nervous laugh. "Just a bit tired, you know…? Long day."

"Oh yeah? What've you-" Lyra suddenly cut herself short. Her brow furrowed and she sniffed at the air. Lemy could feel the sweat collecting beneath his bandana; she _knew._ She knew and he was about to get the lecturing of a lifetime.

"U-um… Lyra, I-"

"Ugh…" Lyra coughed, covering her nose in disgust. "Good Lord, Lemy… how many times do I need to remind you to _shower?!"_ Thank God… she _didn't_ know. And why would she? There was no way his uptight sister would know what pot smells like.

"Right, um… sorry about that!" Lemy said. "I'll take one in a bit, I promise." His sister sighed.

"You'd better," She warned. "See you later, Lemy."

"Seeya later, sis." He said with a faked grin. Lyra responded with a smirk of her own before heading to her room and shutting the door behind her. Lemy finally released the breath he'd been holding in; that had been _far_ too close for comfort.

Lemy stepped into his room, shutting and locking the door behind him. He took the baggie out of his pocket and looked at it. It certainly _looked_ like good stuff; light green bud speckled with orange. He opened the baggie and took a whiff, immediately grinning as the herbal aroma filled his nostrils. Yep, it was good stuff. Lemy opened his sock drawer and hid the baggie discreetly inside. He removed his phone from his pocket before taking off his trench coat and sitting on the end of his bed, typing out a quick message to Bobby and Lupa.

 **[Got the stuff. Meet the regular spot?]** Soon enough, he received a thumbs-up emoji from his younger brother, followed shortly thereafter by a **[Fuck yea]** from Lupa. Lemy chuckled and set his phone aside. It had come as no surprise that Lupa liked to partake in the ganj… hell, she was the one that got him smoking in the first place. But Bobby had been another matter. Unsurprisingly, he'd been against it at first, but Lemy had convinced him to give it a try. Since then, they'd become regular smoking buddies. He supposed that it only made sense: if anyone needed to mellow out, it was Bobby.

Lemy stood up and stretched. He had a few hours before he'd be meeting with the others… he figured he may as well take a shower.

However, once he had _returned_ to his room, he was met with a sight that made his blood run cold. His mother was standing before him with her arms crossed, looking downright _livid._

"M-Mom?!" Lemy gasped, giving a nervous chuckle as he attempted to act casual. "Heyyy… uh, didn't know you were visiting to-"

"Lemy," Luna began in a cold, harsh tone as she held up the baggie. "Care to explain _this?"_

"That's… I… er…" Lemy sputtered. _Now_ he'd been caught… and now, he was well and truly fucked. "I-it's not what it looks li-"

"Come on, Lemy. You think you can bullshit me? You think _I_ don't know what this is?" His mother snapped. Lemy hung his head; he couldn't sweet-talk his way out of this one. Luna sighed and shook her head. "…I raised you better than this."

"I'm… I'm sorry…"

"You better be. No son of _mine_ is gonna be smokin' this weak shit."

"I-I didn't-" Lemy froze. He looked up at his mother in disbelief. "…Sorry, what?"

"You heard me," Luna said. "You call _this_ weed?! This is trash… normie shit." Lemy was at a loss for words.

"That's… it's… it's supposed to be good stuff…" Lemy muttered. His mother rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, if you're a little bitch." Luna scoffed. "It'll get you high, sure, but you guys are Louds… you're _better_ than that. Here," She took another baggie out of her pocket and handed it to her son. "Here. _This_ is the _real_ good shit." Lemy held up the baggie to take a look. Quite frankly, it was unlike any bud he'd seen before… almost a deep purple in color, and it almost seemed to be glowing. Actually, he was pretty sure it _was_ glowing. "That stuff will knock you on your ass," Luna explained. "It's called Facemelter OG. Hard as shit to get ahold of but, y'know… I've got the hookups."

"Um… w-well… thanks, mom." He managed to croak out. As if the situation wasn't weird enough, his mother smiled warmly and gave him a big hug.

"Only th' best f'r me son," She said, slipping back into her fake cockney accent as she broke the hug. "You have fun, okay?"

"…Yeah. Sure… I will." Lemy replied with an awkward grin. Luna smirked and patted her son's shoulder before leaving the room. Lemy remained frozen in place for a moment; it was all still sinking in. His mom had just given him pot… _strong_ pot, apparently. Lemy swallowed; he'd never been scared to smoke weed before, but now? Now, he was a bit nervous… yet still excited. It was going to be an interesting day for sure. Meanwhile, out in the hallway Luna sighed wistfully. She sniffed and wiped a tear of pride from the corner of her eye.

"They grow up so fast…"

* * *

 **Troublemaker**

"Oh man, oh no, no no no…"

"Bobby, chill," Lemy said as he patted his distraught little brother on the back. "It was just a window, and it ain't like you did it on purpose."

"Feh. As if they'll believe _that,"_ A pompous voice scoffed from the other side of Bobby. Lemy shot a glare past the boy to Lyle, who looked as though he'd rather be anywhere else. "The Loud name has a bit of a reputation here, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"Don't listen to him, Beej. He's just being an asshole, as usual." Lemy assured him. "And hey… at least it was a good kick, right?" Bobby simply groaned and buried his head in his hands. Their game of kickball had gone south when a misplaced kick from Bobby sent the ball crashing through a window. Now, the three were sitting just outside the principal's office, waiting their turn to be called in… well, _Bobby's_ turn, at any rate. Lemy had come along to accept part of the blame for passing the ball to him in the first place, not that Bobby expected anything to come of that. Lyle, on the other hand, had been dragged along as… 'moral support'.

"Wh-what am I gonna dooo…" Bobby whimpered. "I-I can't get kicked out!"

"Dude, relax! You're not gonna get kicked out for this. Besides, this is the first time you've gotten in trouble, right? They're gonna let you off easy, trust me."

"He broke school property, Lemy." Lyle chimed in with a smug grin. "This is going on his permanent record."

" _P-P-PERMANENT?!"_

"Lyle, will you knock it off?! He's freaked out enough already." Lemy snapped, putting an arm around the boy's trembling shoulders. "Don't listen to him, Bobby. This isn't gonna go on your permanent record, and even if it did, it's not like anyone reads those-"

"…Except the colleges he won't be attending." Lyle said as he yawned into his palm. "But at least you'll have each other."

"Oh, like you're so innocent." Lemy grumbled.

"I beg your pardon?" Lyle gasped in mock-offense. "I _pride_ myself on my good behavior."

"Oh, _sure."_ Lemy sneered with a roll of his eyes. " _Such_ an angel. I guess you don't know anything about who deflated all of the footballs in the equipment room last month, huh?" Lyle noticeably bristled at that before coughing into his fist and quickly regaining his composure.

"…I haven't the _foggiest_ what you're talking about," Lyle huffed, crossing his arms. "And for the record, those jocks needed to be taken down a peg. On an unrelated note, that message you wrote in the bathroom stall was quite amusing… '4 a good time, call Lyla'. Your handwriting is as sloppy as ever, might I add."

"Y-yeah, well, how about that glitter-bomb in Hayden's locker?!" Lemy shot back. "Don't think I didn't notice how _sparkly_ you were that day. More than usual, at least." Lyle's eye twitched slightly.

" _First_ of all, that's just circumstantial evidence, and _second_ of all, I don't wear glitter. I use a moisturizing cream-"

"…That has glitter in it."

"It brings out my eyes!" Lyle snapped. "Anyway, so long as we're hurling around baseless accusations, I do find it strange how you were mysteriously absent just before the fire alarm went off yesterday…"

"H-hey, I don't remember you complaining about missing assembly!" The metalhead sputtered. "At least I didn't slash Mr. Vick's tires!"

"I-I did no such thing…!"

"Oh come on, who _else_ would have-"

"He was _asking_ for it, okay?! And don't forget the time you-"

"Robert Loud?" The brothers fell silent and sat straight at attention as the principal stepped out from his office. "You can come on in."

"Y-y-yes s-sir…" Bobby stammered, shakily getting to his feet and handing the principal his write-up. Lemy and Lyle shot each other a nasty look before following Bobby into the office.

"Now then, Robert… I must say, I'm surprised to see you in my office." The principal said as he sat down at his desk. "I understand that you're usually a very well-behaved student."

"I-I'm sorry…" Bobby whimpered, hanging his head in shame. The principal frowned and read over the write-up.

"I see… a broken window, eh?" The rotund man muttered, receiving a small nod from Bobby.

"I-it was an accident, dude." Lemy chimed, earning him a cleared throat and irritated look from the principal. "E-er… I mean, sir. Y'see, I passed him the ball, and he kicked it, and-"

"Alright, alright… I don't need a play-by-play." The principal said, waving him off. "This was clearly nothing more than a careless mistake, and seeing as this is your first offense, I'll be letting you off with a written warning." He reached into his desk and pulled out a slip, filling it out and slapping a frowny-face sticker on it before handing it to Bobby. "Here you are, Robert. Just have a parent sign this and return it to the office tomorrow morning, do you understand?" Bobby stared at the slip in disbelief. He looked up at the principal, then back at the slip, then at the principal again.

"…Th-that's it?"

"That's it."

"But... but I broke a window…" Bobby mumbled; the man simply chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

"An accident, nothing more than that." The principal assured him. "Now, should it happen again you _will_ be punished, but… I dare say you've learned your lesson, yes?" Bobby breathed a sigh of relief before nodding with a smile.

"See, Beej? I told you there was nothing to worry about." Lemy said, clapping the younger boy on the shoulder. Lyle simply rolled his eyes.

"Yes, a slap on the wrist, how about that." He groaned. " _So_ glad I was dragged along for this."

"Now then, you'd best get to class." The principal wrote up a note for the teacher and handed that to Bobby as well. "And no dawdling, understand?"

"Y-yes, sir… th-thank you." Bobby said, getting to his feet. "A-and, um… I-I'm sorry again…"

"No worries. These things happen, my boy… that's what insurance is for." The principal said with a gentle smile. "Get along, now."

"Y-yes sir…!" Bobby hurried to the door, but as his brothers started to get up the principal cleared his throat loudly.

"No, _you_ two stay," The principal's tone grew low and stern, sending a chill down the two boys' spines.

"Stay...? But sir, I had nothing to do with…" Lyle trailed off, shrinking back under the man's harsh gaze and exchanging a worried glance with Lemy.

"I couldn't help but overhear you boys' little _discussion_ outside," The principal said, leaning forward and tenting his fingers atop his desk; the brothers' blood ran cold. "It would seem that you two have been _quite_ busy."

"Th-that's… I… um…" Lemy swallowed, giving a nervous laugh as sweat started to collect in his headband.

"W-we were just… messing around, y'know? I-I mean, c'mon… _me_ slashing tires? Psh…" Lyle's laugh was no more convincing then the metalhead's, and the principal wasn't buying it for a second.

"Robert, you may go." The principal ordered. "Your cousins and I need to have a _long_ talk." Bobby looked from the principal to his brothers' desperate, pleading faces, not that there was anything he could have done to save them. The boys had dug their own grave.

"U-um…" Bobby fidgeted awkwardly, averting his eyes to look at the floor. "I… I'll see you guys later, I guess…" With that, he turned and hurried out of the room.

The rest of the day was uneventful, save for the news that Lemy and Lyle had received a week's detention… meaning that the bike ride home was quiet and lonesome. Still, without Lemy weighing down the back he reached 1216 Franklin Ave in record time. Inside, Lizy, Bed and Lulu were playing 'Godzilla' in the living room; he greeted them before heading into the kitchen where his mother and Liena were preparing dinner.

"Hey mom, Liena…"

"There's my little guy~!" Ronnie picked up her son and gave him a peck on his cheek, to his chagrin; Liena simply smiled and waved, her forearms coated with a layer of flour. "How was school?"

"W-well, about that…" Bobby mumbled, dragging his foot against the floor sheepishly. With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the principal's written warning. "H-here."

"What's this…?" Ronnie cocked an eyebrow and took the slip, unfolding it.

"…I'm sorry." Bobby said quietly as she read over the note with a furrowed brow. "I-It was an accident, and I-"

"…Tch." Ronnie clicked her tongue in irritation. Bobby swallowed. He knew that sound… to most, it was little more than a simple exclamation of annoyance. But to a latino, it carried _far_ more weight.

Mamá was not happy.

"M-Mom-" Bobby froze as his mother slipped her foot out of her sandal. With a yelp of fear he turned and bolted out of the kitchen, dashing through the dining room and scrambling up the stairs as fast as his tiny legs would allow. Just as he was about to disappear around the corner la chancla struck the side of his head with the fury of a thousand suns, knocking him to the ground with a grunt of pain.

"Estúpido," Ronnie grumbled from the base of the stairs.

* * *

 **Beautiful**

Leni hummed a cheerful tune as she walked upstairs towards the room shared by her son and his two half-brothers. Apparently Lemy kept their living quarters in terrible condition, despite his more responsible roommates' best attempts to maintain order. Leni figured that as long as the boys were out, she may as well help tidy up her nephew's mess... after all, she used to do the same for Linky. But as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard what sounded like sounded like muffled whimpering and sobbing from Lyra and Liby's room. Leni frowned; whoever that was, they were clearly sad about something… and that just wouldn't do. The fashionista couldn't simply walk by when one of her precious nieces was crying. Leni gently rapped on the door.

"…Go 'way…" Came a muffled voice from within, unmistakably that of Liby.

"Liby? It's aunt Leni… can I come in?" For some time there was no response, until Leni heard the soft creak of someone sitting up on their mattress.

"O-okay." The young teen muttered. Leni opened the door to find Liby sitting on her bed beside a tear-soaked pillow, her eyes red and bleary from crying. She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "Hey, aunt Leni…"

"Oh, sweetie… what's wrong?" Leni asked with a frown as she sat beside her niece. "Did something happen…?" Liby averted her eyes for a moment, then shook her head.

"…No." She said. "No, nothing happened… nothing _new,_ anyway." Leni tilted her head in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Liby sighed.

"…I'm ugly."

"Wha- no you're not!" Leni gasped. "What could make you think that?"

"It's true, though. Everyone at school thinks so…" Her niece sniffled again and hung her head. "I try to ignore it, but I hear it all. The insults, the laughter, all of it…"

"Oh, sweetie, no…" Leni said softly, pulling the girl into a side-hug. "Don't listen to those meanies. You're _totes_ pretty."

"No, I'm _not…!"_ Liby whimpered as she clung to her aunt. "I-it's not fair… all of the others are, but not me! Lyle's a _boy_ and even _he's_ prettier than me! J-just _look_ at me!" She gestured towards herself for emphasis. It hurt, seeing Liby like this… usually the junior detective didn't let such things bother her, but Leni supposed that everyone had their limits.

"I am looking at you," Leni said, gently rubbing the girl's back to calm her down. "And all I see is a beautiful young lady."

"B-but I'm… I'm gangly, I have an overbite, I have to wear _headgear-"_

"Liby, listen to me." Leni said in a stern, yet gentle tone. "You are not ugly. You're, like, one of the most beautiful people I know... and I know a _lot_ of beautiful people." She smiled sweetly, and her niece sniffed and rubbed her eyes.

"You're… y-you're just saying that…"

"No, I'm not." The woman assured her. "Here, let me show you something…" Leni took out her phone. Liby watched curiously as her aunt flicked through it for a bit, then smirked. "Here it is… take a look," Leni said, handing the phone to her niece. It took everything Liby had in her not to burst out laughing... it was a picture of aunt Lori, a _very_ different Lori than the one she knew. She looked to be about her age, and was an absolute mess: she was thin and lanky, wore braces, had terrible acne and, perhaps worst of all, had a _unibrow_.

"O-oh my God… is that really aunt Lori?!" Liby sputtered, clasping a hand over her mouth to suppress a giggle. Leni smiled and nodded.

"Lori went through something like this, too." Leni explained. "But don't tell her I showed you this… she'd be, like, _totes_ mad." She shot her niece a playful wink. Liby had to admit, it made her feel a lot better… after all, Lori was one of the most gorgeous women she knew, perhaps second only to Leni herself. If _she_ had gone through something like this, maybe there was hope for her after all.

"S-so… so you really think I could be pretty like aunt Lori someday…?" She asked. Leni giggled and pulled her niece close.

"Of course you will," The fashionista said, giving the girl a kiss on the top of her head. "Like, you already are. You just don't know it yet." Liby sniffed and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye before handing the phone back to her aunt.

"Thank you, aunt Leni."

"Do you feel better now?" Leni asked sweetly. Liby thought for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.

"…A bit. A _lot_ , I mean." She said. "But… I still don't feel pretty _now_." Leni frowned, tapping her chin in thought. She looked over the girl from head to toe; she wasn't lying when she said Liby was pretty. _She_ thought so, at least. But her lack of confidence definitely showed through her general lack of care for her appearance. Then, it hit her.

"Ooh!" Leni gasped as she hopped down from the bed. "I totes know what will make you feel better. _A makeover!"_

"A-a makeover…?" Liby stammered. Leni grinned and took the girl's hand, gently pulling her to her feet.

"A little change of appearance can go a long way," Leni explained. "Like, I _promise_ you'll feel good about yourself when we're done."

"Oh, um… well, if you think so _ooOOOOO!"_ Liby yelped as her aunt practically dragged her out of the room, her son's messy bedroom all but forgotten.

There'd be time for that later, after all.

* * *

 **You Pervert**

Loan sighed, half-heartedly watching the screen as she lazily browsed an anime streaming site. Normally, she would stick to more legitimate sources, but she'd already watched everything that interested her on Crunchyroll… and quite frankly she just wasn't in the mood to play any games at the moment. Granted, she wasn't really in the mood to watch anything either, but she was bored and needed _something_ to occupy her time. As if on cue, she was snapped from her stupor by a knock at the door separating her room from the rest of the basement.

"Wh-who is it?" Loan called out. The door opened to reveal Liena, standing with a laundry basket in hand and a kind smile adorning her chubby face. "Oh… hello, Liena." She said, returning her younger sister's smile. Liena nodded in acknowledgement, silently walking over and setting the basket down on Loan's bed. "Thank you… um, y-you didn't need to go through the trouble, I would have gone to get them..."

(It's okay.) Liena signed. (I had to….Lemy's…..dirt.) Loan cocked her head in confusion, and Liena thought a moment before trying again. (Lemy clothes smell bad.)

"Oh… I see," Loan said with a laugh. "Well, thanks again." Liena grinned, giving another small nod before hurrying out and shutting the door behind her. Loan looked at the laundry basket, finding that the clothes within were already neatly folded and ready to be put in the closet. It was easy to forget just how much Liena did for the family… Loan hoped that she took some time for herself every now and then. In any case, at least she had something to do now. She looked back at the screen with a frown, quickly picking an anime at random… 'Boku no Pico'. The name sounded familiar, but beyond that she had no idea what it was actually about. Still, it was more for background noise than anything, so she simply shrugged and put it on before sliding off the bed. Once, Loan may have procrastinated with chores such as these, if she even bothered doing them at all. But as long as she was living under her father's roof she was determined not to be a nuisance. Besides, she wanted to get better, and sticking to old habits would do nothing to help that.

Loan got to work as the video started, an overly-cutesy theme song quickly filling her ears. 'So it's a shoujo series,' she figured, taking a quick glance up to confirm her suspicions-

...Oh. It was one of _those_ animes.

Barely a few seconds into the opening theme, the entirety of the frame was taken up by a close-up of a young girl's butt as she rode her bike, wearing what could only be described as the tightest clothing ever conceived. Loan rolled her eyes. Fanservice was one thing, certainly something she'd come to expect from anime in general... but to get this risque _this_ quickly was a clear sign that it wasn't for her. With a shake of her head, she got back to work; she'd change it to something better in a moment. Or… perhaps she could give it a chance, at least? After all, it wouldn't be the first time an anime's OP was misleading. She frowned, taking another glance at the screen only to be met with yet another close-up of the girl's butt. She let out a sigh and massaged her temples. She'd seen a lot over the years, but never an _anime_ this shameless.

...Wait. What was that?

Almost as soon as she had noticed it, the scene changed to another. Loan blinked, unsure if she had really seen what she thought she had. Between the girl's legs, she could have sworn she saw a small bulge… but no, it couldn't be. She shook the thought aside; it must have simply been an animation error-

Oh, no.

After a few more quick cuts, an image filled the screen: the girl bound up bondage-style, her skirt hiked up to reveal her white panties…

...Sporting a clear outline of something a girl should most definitely _not_ have.

"O-oh my God," Loan gasped, her face turning bright red. She was frozen in place, her mind struggling to process what she was looking at. The 'girl' in a wet t-shirt. Topless on 'her' bed, wearing naught but panties as she pulled off her stockings. Various shots of her completely nude, naughty bits conveniently hidden from view.

Embraced from behind by a very clearly older man, blushing demurely as the man reached around to stroke his...

"...Aaa _aaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"_ Loan shrieked, snatching up the controller and frantically trying to stop the video. She couldn't watch this. Hell, she couldn't even have this in her history. Was it even _legal?!_ So flustered was she that she managed to do naught but pause it before dropping the controller to the ground. "Oh come on!" She hissed, stooping down to pick it up.

"Loan?! Did you just scr-" Loan froze, her blood running cold and the controller dropping from her hands once more. She slowly turned toward the doorway to find none other than Lyra standing there, staring at the screen with a look of horror and disgust plastered across her face.

"L-Ly… _Lyra?!"_ Loan sputtered, frantically waving her arms as she attempted to explain herself. "I-I swear this isn't what it looks like…!" Whatever she may have said to defend herself, Lyra wasn't listening; her lips pressed tightly into a thin line, her hands balling into fists and shaking with anger.

Lyra had always had her suspicions about Loan. For a girl her age to spend all her time cooped up inside playing games and watching cartoons was unusual to say the least, not to mention the company she chose to keep. As far as Lyra could tell, the woman had no friends her own age, instead preferring the company of their younger brothers. Well, _two_ of them at least: Bobby and, perhaps even more worrisome to the teen, Lemy. She claimed to simply get along better with kids, but then why did she never spend time with Lacy, or Lupa, or Leia? Clearly something was afoot, but despite Lyra's best attempts she'd never managed to catch her in the act… until now.

"You… you _pervert,"_ She hissed, making Loan wince.

"I-I'm not-"

"I always knew you were up to something," Lyra pressed on. "I can't believe I've been letting you bring Lemy and Bobby down here unsupervised." Loan's brow furrowed in confusion, only for her eyes to go wide as the accusation set in.

"W-wait… _wait!_ I-I never… I'm not like that!" She pleaded.

"What in God's name is _this,_ then?!" She spat, pointing at the screen. "And a _cartoon,_ no less… looking to indoctrinate them into your sick fantasies, are you?!"

"I-I didn't know what it was!"

"Oh, I'm sure you didn't," Lyra sneered. "You just _happened_ to put on this pedophilic smut, then?"

"I'm _not_ a-"

"You listen here, Loan." The teen strode up to her sister, making the older woman shrink back in fear. "If you _ever_ go near any of our brothers again, I'll make you regret it more than you could ever imagine. Do you understand me?!"

"I-I didn't…" Loan whimpered; she looked as though she could burst into tears at any moment. Scared of being exposed for what she really was, no doubt. With one final warning glare Lyra turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Lyra stopped, taking a few deep breaths to compose herself. She often had to remind herself that Loan was a very troubled girl, and had to give her at least some leeway compared to the others… but _this_ was a different matter. Despite her warning, a big part of her wanted to report the issue to their father and Ronnie straightaway. Well… their father, at least. Lyra didn't want to think about what Ronnie might do to the girl.

She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. She needed to calm down and clear her mind before considering her options here. With a sigh, she made her way up the basement stairs and through the kitchen. Just as she reached the living room, the front door swung open.

"-tellin' ya, dude, they ain't so tough." It was none other than Lemy, Bobby following closely behind. "If either of 'em had the balls to take me on one-on-one, I'd totally wreck 'em." He boasted, puffing out his chest haughtily.

"Yeah… I'm sure you would, Lemy." His unconvinced younger brother said with a roll of his eyes. "Haven't you and Hayden already… oh, hi, Lyra."

"Huh? Oh, hey. 'Sup, Ly'?" Lemy nonchalantly greeted his sister. The girl crossed her arms, looking down at the two with pursed lips.

"What's all this about fighting?" Lyra asked disapprovingly; her little brother simply shrugged.

"Hypothermically."

"...Hypothetically, Lemy..." Bobby corrected him.

"Yeah, that one," The boy said as he stuck a pinky in his ear, wiggling it to clean it out much to Lyra's disgust.

"Lemy, for goodness' sake, go use a q-tip. We're not living in a zoo," She chastised him. Lemy huffed and popped his finger out of his ear, examining it for any stray wax.

"Yeah, yeah… c'mon, Beej," He grumbled, heading past his sister with Bobby in tow.

"See you later, Lyra…" Bobby said. The girl waved, only for something to cross her mind.

"Wait… wait you two, one moment," She said; Lemy let out an exaggerated groan, stopping mid-stride and shooting her a look of irritation.

"Alright, alright… what'd I do this time?" Lemy asked. "'Cause I swear I've got an explanation."

"...I don't know… what DID you do, Lemy?" Lyra fired back, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. The boys exchanged a nervous glance before an unconvincingly innocent smile crossed their places.

"N-nothing… um, what'd you need, sis?" Lemy asked in a faux-polite tone. Lyra sighed, shaking her head in resignation. She just couldn't be bothered with it for now.

"Right, well… you two spend a lot of time with Loan, yes?"

"Yeah, why?" Lemy replied.

"I-is something wrong?" Bobby asked nervously. Lyra was about to answer in the affirmative, but she caught herself.

"Has Loan ever… done anything strange?" She asked. Lemy thought about it for a moment before shrugging.

"Not really."

"I mean… she's kinda strange anyway, isn't she...?" Bobby pointed out. "I-in a good way, though."

"No, no, I mean has she ever done anything that made you feel... uncomfortable?" Lyra clarified. The boys each cocked an eyebrow, exchanging another glance before looking back to their sister.

"...Uncomfortable how…?" Lemy asked.

"I mean… said anything inappropriate, or put her hands somewhere she shouldn't-"

"W-wait, you mean like 'bad touch'?!" Bobby gasped, his eyes going wide. " _N-no!_ Of course she hasn't…!"

"Yeah, what the heck Lyra? Loan's not like that," Lemy agreed. "I mean, she likes to snuggle, but not like t _hat."_ Lyra frowned and kneeled down to their level.

"Look… I won't tell anyone," She promised. "You can be honest with me. If she's-"

"She's _not,"_ Lemy repeated, seemingly irritated by his sister's accusation.

"Yeah… she's nice," His brother chimed in. "I like being with her. S-she'd never do anything like that…"Lyra hesitated a moment, her brow furrowing slightly as she studied their faces. Finally, she got to her feet with a sigh.

"...Alright. That's all… you two can go," Lyra said. Her brothers exchanged one final look of confusion, shrugging before they turned and made their way upstairs. Lyra watched them go before turning and heading out the door herself to sit down on the patio and mull over the situation. Had she been wrong…? She'd _seen_ what Loan was watching with her own eyes… but who would watch something like that without locking the door? Plus, the woman had been adamant that it was a misunderstanding, and Loan had certainly never been a very good liar. The more Lyra thought about it the more it didn't add up, and the worse she felt about how she'd treated her older sister. "Ugh… nice, Lyra. Nice," She scolded herself, burying her face in her palm. God, no wonder Loan had looked so upset… she'd accused the poor girl of something awful, not even letting her plead her case. Suspicions or not, she should have at least heard Loan out. But no… once again, Lyra had jumped to conclusions. She groaned and dragged her hand down her face. Her mom and Lemy were right; she really _was_ too uptight for her own good. "...I should go apologize, at least..." She muttered as she got to her feet.

* * *

Downstairs, Loan sat downcast at the foot of her bed, staring down at her lap sadly. She wasn't sure what she should do, or say, or even think about the current situation. Not that she could blame Lyra… were their positions reversed even _she_ might not have believed it.

 _ **Who would listen to a nutcase like you, anyway?**_

Loan sighed and shook the thoughts away. Whatever the case, all she could do was let Lyra cool down and try to explain herself again later. For the time being she still had laundry to put away, and she certainly needed _some_ sort of task to keep her mind off things. May as well be something productive, right? The young woman got to her feet and got back to work. However, as she whittled down the stacks of cleaned clothing, she spotted something out of place: all the way at the bottom lay a faded, purple tank top, far smaller than any of the other shirts.

"Is this Lemy's…?" She muttered; with so many people living under one roof, it wasn't unusual for some of their clothes to get mixed together by accident. Indeed, the shirt did look to be one of Lemy's… the small size and baked-in stains were a dead giveaway. "Has this even been washed?" She said with a grimace, bringing the shirt to her face to take a sniff.

...And, as if on cue, the door swung open.

"Hey, Loan… listen, I…" Lyra trailed off as her gaze fell on Loan; the girl had her face buried in one of Lemy's recently-worn shirts, taking in a big whiff of the young boy's scent. Loan coughed in disgust as she lowered she shirt.

"Yeah, that's definitely not… um…" Loan's eyes met Lyra's and, for some time, neither moved or said a word. Then the tank top slipped from her hand and she raised her palms in submission, giving a small, nervous laugh. "U-um… I swear, th-this isn't what it l-looks like…" She stammered as Lyra grit her teeth, her face turning red-hot with fury.

" _Y-YOU PERVERT!"_

* * *

 **Splinter**

"Will you stop being a baby and hold still?!"

"I-it's going to hurt…!"

"The hell is going on out here?" Lupa asked as she stepped out into the backyard. Seated on the back porch were Lyle and Bobby, with the younger boy's outstretched arm firmly in the grasp of his irritated-looking brother. "Aw, ain't that cute. Get a room, lovebirds."

"Ha. Hilarious." Lyle scoffed with a roll of his eyes. Bobby simply whimpered, weakly trying to pull his arm from the older boy's grip.

"Seriously though, what's with all the noise?" Lupa asked again, placing a cigarette between her lips and lighting it. "It's like a girl can't even rub one out in peace around here." Bobby turned bright red and looked away, but Lyle seemed nonplussed.

"Bobby has a splinter," Lyle explained; looking closer, Lupa noticed the pair of tweezers in his other hand. "I'm _trying_ to get it out, if he would just cooperate for a few seconds..."

"Y-you don't need to get it out!" Bobby whined. "I-it'll come out on its own, so-"

"Would you rather risk infection, Bobby?" Lyle asked sternly. Bobby gulped and shook his head. "Didn't think so. Now hold still." He shifted slightly, pinning Bobby's arm beneath his for support. The little boy squeezed his eyes shut and tried to look away, but couldn't help but peek out from the corner of his eye as the tweezers got closer and closer…

" _CAREFUL!"_ Both boys jumped at Lupa's sudden outburst. She snickered, earning her a nasty glare from Lyle. "What? Just trying to help." She said with a shrug.

"Your 'help' is neither wanted nor needed, Lupa." Lyle sneered.

"Fine, fine… I'll keep my mouth shut. Go on, then." Lupa sat down on the opposite side of Bobby and took a long drag from her cigarette.

"Alright… now hold still." Lyle grunted, getting back to the task at hand. Bobby nodded, trembling with fear as the tweezers neared the small black dot on his fingertip. Bobby let out a whine, jumping slightly as soon as the tweezers touched his finger. "Oh, will you cut it out? I haven't even done anything yet!"

"I can't help it, I- _OW!"_ Bobby cried out in pain as Lyle started digging at the splinter. "Lyle, s-s-stop!"

"Hang on, I almost-" Despite Lyle's best efforts, the younger boy managed to wrench his arm free from his grip. "Bobby, get back here!"

"N-no! That really hurt, Lyle!"

"It only hurt because you wouldn't stop moving!"

"I kept moving because it _HURT!"_

"Look, I almost had it, will you just-"

" _No!"_ Bobby cried, backing away from his brother and into Lupa. She looked down at the whimpering child with a raised eyebrow, then back at Lyle with a bemused smirk.

"Yeah, looks like you totally had this under control. Nice one, brother of the year." She said sarcastically.

"Fine! Let him get tetanus for all I care!" The effeminate boy huffed, tossing up his hands in defeat. Lupa rolled her eyes and patted Bobby's head.

"There, there… did the big bad man hurt you?" Lupa cooed in mock-sympathy, though Bobby didn't seem to pick up on her insincerity; he simply sniffled and nodded against her chest. "Here, let me see." She gently grasped the boy's wrist and examined his finger. "Ooh yeah, that's a deep one. Hey, what's that over there?"

"Huh…?" Bobby sniffed and looked up. "Over where…?"

"There." Lupa said, pointing to the other end of the yard. While Bobby was distracted, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her switchblade.

"I don't see anyth- _OW!"_ The boy yelped and tugged his hand away as he felt a short, sharp pain in his finger. "What was that… for…?" Bobby trailed off, looking down at his fingertip in awe: the splinter was gone.

"You're welcome," Lupa said, flipping her switchblade closed with a flourish before pocketing it again. "You're gonna want to go wash that, though." Bobby blinked, then smiled.

"W-wow… thanks, Lupa!" He said, giving his sister a big hug.

"Alright, alright… that's enough of that." Lupa grumbled, pushing the boy off. "Go watch a Star War or something." Bobby was too relieved to get annoyed by her comment, and quickly scurried back inside… leaving Lupa alone with a very baffled Lyle. She shot the boy a sly smirk. "And _that's_ how you get rid of a splinter."

"…I almost had it." Lyle huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Lupa simply shrugged and took a drag from her cigarette.

"How'd he get it, anyway?"

"The porch is in pretty bad shape," Lyle explained, patting the worn wooden floor beside him. "Next time aunt Lana comes by we're going to- _OW!"_ He yelped in pain and jerked his hand away.

" _Nice."_ Lupa snorted as the indignant boy examined his hand, finding a small black dot embedded in the palm. "And here I thought you were one of the smart ones."

"Oh, shut up." Lyle grunted. He began digging at the splinter with his tweezers, wincing in pain as he struggled to get it out; like Bobby's it was fairly deep.

"Need some help, there?" Lupa asked.

"I can take care of i-" Lyle froze as he heard a metallic SHING from beside him. He looked over to see Lupa once again brandishing her switchblade.

"Here, give me your hand." She said, but Lyle inched away as Lupa scooted closer. She cocked an eyebrow. "Seriously?" Lupa chuckled. "C'mon, even Bobby could handle it. Lemme just-"

"You stay away from me with that," Lyle snapped, jumping to his feet. "Liena will… I-I mean… _I can take care of it myself, okay?!"_ And with that, Lyle rushed back inside. Lupa snickered and put away her switchblade.

"Now who's being a baby?"

* * *

 **Wardrobe Malfunction**

Reina kept her gaze fixed towards the ground, doing her best to ignore the stares of her schoolmates as she hurried through the halls of Royal Woods Middle School. It wasn't so much that she was in a hurry to get to class… she had more than enough time, after all.

Rather, the issue was her choice of attire.

She tried in vain to pull down the hem of her shirt, as if it would make any difference. Swapping out her regular t-shirt for a cutoff top had seemed like a good idea… well, a good idea to _her_ at least. It was a hot day after all, and puberty had brought with it a number of positive changes to her figure; she'd figured it would boost her sex appeal, raise her popularity amongst her peers. If you've got it, flaunt it, right? Well, it had worked a little _too_ well. It wasn't even third period yet, and still it felt as though every kid in the school had already ogled her at least once. Some tried to be discreet about it, some took no shame in their behavior, and those that didn't eye her like a piece of meat instead did so with contempt. She'd heard the whispers, the snide comments… hell, Tina had even called her a skank. _Tina,_ of all people! As if the school's resident thot had any room to judge others for their revealing clothing.

"Yo, Reina." The girl winced at the familiar voice, and a quick glance upwards confirmed her suspicions: Hayden was standing nearby, his loyal stooge Andy by his side as always. "Lookin' good," He said, eying Reina up and down with a look that made her skin crawl. She grit her teeth, letting out a scoff of disgust as she shoved her way past. She wasn't about to give the bastard the satisfaction of a response, even as she heard him and his cohort sharing a laugh at her expense. Still, try as she may, Reina couldn't help but feel anxious as she approached her classroom. She could practically feel her classmates' eyes on her, slowing down as they walked past to get a better look. She couldn't do this. Her first two classes had been a nightmare; she was pretty sure even Mr. Hamilton had been sneaking glances in her direction, a thought that made her stomach turn.

Reina stopped, instead turning away and heading back in the opposite direction. She moved quickly, ignoring the stares and comments of her peers as she made her way to her 'secret spot'; an old, seemingly forgotten janitor's closet out of the way from most of the action. It was a safe haven of sorts known only to her and Bobby… well, Lyle and Lemy too, though as far as she knew they'd never made use of it. The girl locked the door before leaning her back against it and sliding down to the floor with a sigh. She hugged her knees to her chest, ignoring the bell signaling the start of class. She knew she'd be in for a world of trouble for skipping class like this, but she didn't care; anything would be better than the prying eyes of her classmates. Reina sniffled and wiped at the corner of her eye. She was no stranger to failure, and she'd made a laughing stock of herself more times than she could count. But not like this… she'd never felt so humiliated, not to mention objectified. Reina wished now that she had heeded her siblings' warnings, or those that _had_ advised against it at least.

So Reina waited. She'd wait there all day if she had to; she wasn't going back out there to make a spectacle of herself. A minute turned to ten, then twenty, then thirty. Even when the lunch bell rang she didn't budge, that is until a knock at the door jolted the girl from her self-pity.

"Reina…?" A soft, gentle voice spoke from the other side of the door. "Are you in there?"

"…Bobby? H-hang on…" Reina got to her feet, wiping her eyes and putting on her best poker face before opening the door for her twin brother. The boy stepped inside with a look of concern on his face. "Hey, bro… um, what's up?"

" _What's up?!_ Reina, why weren't you at class? A-are you alright?" He asked. Reina gave a forced laugh, waving her hand dismissively.

"Ah, chill. I just needed some me time, that's all."

"…So you skipped class," Bobby said flatly.

"Hey, it's not like geography's that important," She said with a shrug. Bobby simply rolled his eyes; he knew his sister better than anyone, and he wasn't buying her act for a second. He stepped all the way into the closet with a sigh, closing and locking the door behind him.

"What happened, Reina?" He asked again. The girl frowned, her 'cool girl' act beginning to falter. He waited for a response, only to receive none… still, it didn't take a genius to guess what was going on here. "It's the shirt, isn't it?" Reina hesitated, averting her eyes biting her lip before finally giving a small, meek nod.

"…Everyone keeps staring." She muttered quietly. Yep, just as Bobby had figured; he'd noticed their classmates' prying eyes too, after all. "I… should have listened to you," She admitted. "I-I didn't think it'd be like this…" Bobby frowned. Part of him wanted to chastise his sister for ignoring his words of caution, but he couldn't bring himself to… not when she was this vulnerable. Instead, he smiled and gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Well, of course it would… you're, y-y'know…" Bobby paused, a sheepish look crossing his face. "…You're pretty." Reina turned a light shade of pink, looking away from the boy and coughing into her fist.

"W-well, yeah, obviously." Reina said with an unconvincing mask of confidence. "A-anyway… I don't know what to do. I can't go back out there like this…" Bobby rubbed his chin in thought. It was a dilemma, to be sure; Reina's jacket was barely any longer than her top was, and even if it _were,_ he doubted she was actually able to close the tight-fitting garment.

Then, an idea hit him.

"Hang on…" Bobby mumbled. To his sister's confusion, he began to slip out of his hoodie.

…And then his shirt.

Reina's cheeks turned bright red, her breath catching in her throat. Was it finally happening? Was Bobby finally going to-

"Here," Bobby said, offering her his shirt. Reina blinked, staring down at her brother's offering. "I-it should be fine for today, at least… I mean, if you want to, anyway…"

"Um… n-no- I mean, yeah, that's perfect!" The girl gasped, reaching out for the garment, only to hesitate. "But… what about you?"

"I'll just zip up my hoodie."

"Right… duh." Reina laughed, gratefully taking the shirt from her brother. "Thanks… um, do you mind…?"

"O-oh, right, s-sorry…" Bobby turned away, blushing slightly as Reina changed behind him. She pulled off her top and haphazardly chucked it aside; quite frankly, she really didn't care about the damn thing.

"Okay. You can look," She said once she had finished, and her brother turned to face her. His dark blue shirt was a bit loose on her, but not by much… he was her twin, after all. "Do I look okay…?"

"…Yeah," Bobby said with a smirk. "You look good." His sister smiled brightly and Bobby slipped his hoodie back on, being sure to zip it up all the way. "Now, c'mon… we should get some lunch before-" He was cut off by Reina wrapping him in a big hug; he was taken off guard for a moment, before returning the embrace with a chuckle.

"Thank you," Reina said quietly before breaking the hug. "Are you sure you won't be too hot, though?" She asked with a frown. "I mean, it's not exactly sweater weather."

"Ah… I'll be fine," Bobby assured her. "It's not _that_ bad…"

…Or so he thought.

By fifth period, the boy was absolutely sweltering. He wasn't sure what exactly had prompted him to wear his hoodie today of all days when he had better options available to him, but he supposed old habits die hard. Bobby huffed, wiping his damp forehead with his sleeve. He couldn't take it anymore; without thinking, the boy unzipped his hoodie and slid his arms from the sleeves, letting it drape across the seatback. He let out out a sigh of relief as the air hit his sweaty skin, pleasantly chilling him to the bone.

" _Mr. Loud!"_ Bobby snapped back to his senses, his eyes shooting wide open and meeting the stern, disapproving glare of his math teacher, Mrs. Elwood. He blinked a few times, glancing around to find that every eye in the classroom was on him… some seemed to be taken aback, others amused, some were even openly snickering into their palms. The boy's brow furrowed in confusion and he fidgeted in place, suddenly feeling very nervous. Why were they all staring at him…?

" _Bobbyyyyy…"_ Reina hissed, her voice cutting through the deafening silence like a knife. He turned to the seat beside him to find his sister staring at him with a mortified grimace on her face, which only deepened as she pointed down to his chest. The boy cocked an eyebrow before glancing down.

…Oh. Right.

"…U-u-um…" The bare-chested Bobby sputtered, turning a deep shade of red from head to toe. "I… s-s-sorry, er… I…" He let out an awkward, forced laugh, and Reina could only groan and bury her face in her palm. _Guess we're both getting la chancla today,_ she thought. … _Probably grounded, too._ Still, as her flustered brother tried in vain to explain himself, Reina couldn't help but giggle under her breath. That was Bobby, alright… a pillar of support one moment, and an awkward, bumbling mess the next. He'd come a long way since they were little, but at the end of the day he would always be the same little dork he'd always been.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.


	8. The Early Years

**A New Beginning**

Lincoln sat hunched forward, his elbows rested on his knees and a tense expression adorning his face. It was a pleasant day in Ketcham Park, neither too hot nor too cold, not to mention mostly empty thanks to the early hour. Not that Lincoln was really taking it in… the man was so lost in his own thoughts that he was practically dead to the world.

Lincoln shut his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh as he leaned back against the park bench. He took another glance at his phone: 10:23. Seven minutes to go. Not that he expected the man to arrive right on the dot, assuming he even showed up at all. At some level, perhaps Lincoln wished he wouldn't. He'd tried to tell himself that time heals all wounds, but he somehow doubted that would be the case this time. If there ever _had_ been a chance at reconciliation, that opportunity had long since passed. Besides, he hadn't set up this meeting to beg for forgiveness. He was here for advice and, God willing, perhaps some sense of closure.

It was 10:39 when the sound of approaching footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts, accompanied by the gentle crunching of autumn leaves underfoot. Lincoln tensed up, taking another deep breath before looking towards the source of the noise. As expected, there he was… so familiar and yet so much older, so much more worn and tired than when Lincoln had seen him last.

His father, Lynn Loud.

The man said nothing as he approached, nor as he stared coldly at his son for a few seconds before taking a seat beside him… noticeably as far from him as he could manage. Lincoln frowned and looked away, locking his fingers together as he considered what, exactly, he was meant to say. 'Hello'? 'Long time no see'?

"...Hey, dad."

Smooth.

"...Lincoln." Lynn's voice was cold and flat, nothing like what one would expect from a father who hadn't seen his son in twelve years. Not that he could blame him, given the… _unique_ circumstances of the situation. After all, Lincoln had conceived no less than six children with his own sisters, right under his father's nose; not to mention four others after that. Even Lincoln himself felt a bit sick thinking back on it.

At first, keeping things secret from his parents had been easy enough. They'd assumed Loan was Bobby's, of course, and why wouldn't they? It went without saying that he and Lori had been sexually active, and it wasn't far-fetched to assume that she had gotten pregnant shortly before the boy's unfortunate accident. In a way, however, they _had_ been connected… it was Bobby's death that had driven Lori to drink in her grief and, ultimately, force herself upon her younger brother.

Even now, the memory was enough to make the bile rise in Lincoln's throat.

But, perhaps out of weakness on his part, he could only blame Lori so much… a week prior to the incident he had been accidentally exposed to one of Lisa's experimental pheromone compounds. The side-effects hadn't been immediately apparent, but over time the boy's hormones spiraled more and more out of control.

And thus began Lincoln's nightmare.

Their parents had been more than willing to believe that the sweet and naïve Leni would get suckered into premarital sex, nor had they been surprised when the hard-partying Luna became pregnant with an illegitimate , however, had been another matter. She'd hardly seemed the type to put out so easily, and of course _three_ daughters conceiving bastard children in a row raised more than a few suspicions. When Lupa was born, that had been the end of it all: that white hair had left no question to her parentage.

To say they hadn't taken it well would be an understatement.

"Uh… thanks for agreeing to meet with me," Lincoln said softly, receiving little more than a vague grunt in response. The younger man cleared his throat before continuing. "Soo… how's mo-"

"How did you get our number, Lincoln?" His father asked plainly.

"I got it from Lily," He said. Lynn's eyes narrowed, a grimace crossing his face at his son's words.

"So you're talking to Lily now..."

"Yeah… and that's _all_ we've been doing," His son assured him. The older man scoffed under his breath. "I'm telling the truth."

"You were 'telling the truth' before, too." Lincoln winced, though he couldn't really refute his father's point.

"...I'm telling the truth," He said again in a serious tone. "I've put all that behind me, now. Or… I'm trying to, at least." Lynn gave a dismissive snort of laughter.

"You really think you can put it behind you, Lincoln?" Lynn asked. "You know what they say about tigers and their stripes."

"Look, I wasn't myself-"

"Oh, cut the bullshit," Lynn spat. "I've heard it all before. 'It was Lisa's chemicals', 'I couldn't control myself', I've heard it all. You're not a child anymore, Lincoln… no matter what Lisa may have exposed you to, your actions are still yours. Stop pretending otherwise."

"I'm not… I'm not pretending," Lincoln muttered. "I fucked up. I know damn well I can't run from that, and I've given up trying to." His father fell silent once more; after some time, the man shut his eyes and sighed.

"Let's just cut to the chase. What do you _want,_ Lincoln?" His son frowned and drummed his fingers against his knee. He looked over at his father, taking in the man's aged appearance. He looked tired and haggard, even considering his age; his eyes were framed by heavy creases and wrinkles, his skin was sagging and dotted with liver spots, and overall he seemed to have lost his confidence and lust for life. Lynn was naught but a shell of his former self and it wasn't lost on Lincoln that, at some level, _he_ had caused this.

"Look, I…" He began, pausing to take a deep breath before continuing. "...I need some advice." His father glanced at him for the first time since sitting down, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.

"Advice…?" He asked; Lincoln nodded.

"Like I said, I'm done running. I'm trying to… fix this. Take responsibility, I mean."

"Are you, now." Lynn made no attempt to hide the incredulity in his voice, not that Lincoln could blame him. He fidgeted with his wedding ring as he mulled over his words, something that did not go unnoticed by his father. "...You're married?"

"Huh? Oh… yeah." He raised his hand to give the man a better look at the ring. "To Ronnie Anne, actually… remember her? We have two kids, Robert and Reina. Twins, actually… you'd like them, I think." Lynn glanced at the ring for a brief moment before looking away with a huff.

"That poor woman."

"She knows, you know," Lincoln said. "I was honest about it from the beginning. She… helped me when I needed it most. And even when I slipped again, when I betrayed her, she gave me another chance. This time, I'm not going to waste it." Lynn's expression was hard to read… he seemed to be searching his son's eyes, as though he were trying to get a read on him. Lincoln simply stared back with an unwavering, resolute gaze.

"Alright… go on, then." Lynn said. "What's this 'advice' you apparently need so badly?"

"There's been… a few changes, these past couple of years," Lincoln explained. "Loan ran away from home and she's been living with us ever since, with Lori's blessings. I've gotten back in contact with some of the others, too. Leni's been around a lot more, and Liena and Lyle-"

"Lyle…?" His father looked confused. Lincoln sighed; he'd forgotten just how deep his parents' resentment ran.

"...He's Leni's." Lincoln had already expected his father's scoff before he heard it.

"Just couldn't help but go back for more, huh?" He said in a harsh, judgmental tone. "Yeah, _clearly_ you've learned your lesson."

"That was nearly _six years a-"_ Lincoln caught himself and took a deep breath to calm down. No good would come out of fighting with the man. "...Look. Think what you want… judge me, hate me, I don't care. But I'm not that person anymore. I'm ready to stop running, to stop _hiding_ from my mistakes. I'm ready to be a father to these kids."

"So you're going to ruin their lives by telling them what they really are?" Lynn countered.

"I'm going to tell them the _truth_ , dad. Better they find out now than later," Lincoln said. "That's what I think, anyway." Lynn fell silent and glanced away, seemingly lost in thought. "Look, dad…" The younger man continued, shifting slightly to face him. "You and mom raised eleven kids on your own. I-"

"You want me to tell you how to raise your kids. _Me._ Because I did _such_ a good job, right?" Lynn shook his head and gave a dry, humorless chuckle. "...You must be nuts." Lincoln could hear the bitterness in his father's tone, but it was different this time… focused inward, not outward.

"What happened wasn't your fault, dad," He said softly. "And it wasn't mom's either. You did the best you could, and honestly? I think you did the best _anyone_ could do. What happened was on us, and nobody else." Lynn furrowed his brow as he considered his son's words, and Lincoln pushed on. "That's why… that's why I came to you. I want to know what you think I should do, here. Not as _our_ father, but as _a_ father. Please." For what felt like several minutes they sat in silence, broken only by the chirping of birds and the distant voices carried by the wind. Just as Lincoln was about to speak again, his father exhaled softly and scratched the back of his head.

"Those kids of yours… the twins. They know?" He asked.

"...Some of it, yeah."

"How'd they take it?"

"Pretty well, but… y'know. They're a bit too young to fully understand, I think." Lincoln said. "Loan knows too, of course. She took it pretty hard, but she's come to accept it more or less. And Liena and Lyle always knew… Leni never kept it a secret from them."

"Of course she didn't…" Lynn grumbled with a roll of his eyes. He leaned back and pinched at the bridge of his nose, taking a moment before continuing. "Alright… alright. Here's what I think. You really want to make amends? You _really_ want to make things right?"

"More than anything." Lincoln assured him. His father stared at him for a moment longer, gauging his sincerity… then gave a small nod.

"Then you have to bring them together," He said. Lincoln's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well… yeah, that's what I'm-"

"No, Lincoln. What you're planning to do is tell these kids the truth, and then what? Share custody? Visit them when you can? You really think that would do anything to help?" Lincoln averted his eyes and chewed his lip in thought. His father had a point; even if he revealed the truth to his kids, even if he tried to reconnect with his sisters, what then? He couldn't see them all the time, right? He had his wife, their children, not to mention Loan… he had his family. How could he split his time between eight others?

"...What can I do, then…?"

"The problem is that you're only thinking of them as _your_ kids." Lynn explained. "But they're more than that: they're each others' siblings, every one of them. They're going to need each other just as much as they're going to need you. So don't tear yourself apart trying to be a father to each of them… be a father to _all_ of them. Bring them together, under one roof. As a _family_." Again, he was right… Lincoln was only looking at things from his own perspective, failing to understand the bigger picture. Thinking back, he couldn't imagine having to grow up without his sisters in his life, later events aside. Loan was certainly happier since moving in with them and the twins, and even the timid Bobby took a quick liking to her. Liena had also been thrilled to meet her three half-siblings, and Lyle…

Well, Lincoln was sure he'd warm up to them in time.

"That's… a good idea, I guess…" Lincoln muttered. "...But things are getting a bit cramped as is, and there's no way in hell I could afford a place big enough."

"I guess that would be an issue, wouldn't it…" Lynn mumbled before falling silent again. He seemed a bit anxious, as though he were deeply considering something; finally the man leaned back with a sigh. "...Earlier, you asked about your mother."

"Huh? Oh, uh, right…" Lincoln said, unsure what this had to do with the current situation. "How's she doing?"

"She's… not well," Lynn said quietly.

"Not well…?" There was solemn note to his father's voice that made Lincoln's stomach twist into knots. "What do you mean 'not well'? I-is it serious…?!"

"I wouldn't bother telling you if it wasn't," His father said. "It's her heart. Some fancy medical term, cardi… pathy, or something like that. Runs in her side of the family, apparently… go figure." Lincoln felt a wave of guilt wash over him; as bad as his father had taken the truth of his grandchildren's parentage, the revelation had absolutely _destroyed_ his mother. He knew stress could lead to heart disease, and even if his father wouldn't say it something in his gut told him he was responsible for this… hereditary or not.

"Lily didn't say anything about this…"

"Because we haven't told her, yet."

"I-I… is it… can they _cure_ it?"

"It's… treatable. _Possibly_ , anyway..." Lynn said. "There's a cardiologist out-of-state, one of the best in the country for this kind of thing. So… we're leaving Michigan for good." Lincoln turned to his father with wide eyes.

"You're moving…?" The man gave a nod of confirmation. "To where?"

" _Away,_ Lincoln." Lynn said plainly. "That's all you need to know." Lincoln flinched at his father's icy tone. "Anyway, my point: we're selling the house. Obviously." It took his son a moment to process what he was getting at.

"What're… oh. _Oh._ "

"It could use some TLC, but it's in decent shape… honestly, probably better shape than it _was."_ Lynn said, glancing over at this son. "I'm willing to give you a good price on it, if you want it." A small grin crossed Lincoln's face. He couldn't believe what he was hearing… the house could be his. _The_ house.

His home.

"I… wow, dad…" He stammered; Lynn grimaced and turned away, seemingly irritated by his son's sincerity. "That's… that'd be great! I… wait, I mean, I still need to talk to Ronnie about, well, _all_ of this, I-"

"Do what you have to," Lynn huffed. "Talk to your wife and sisters, figure things out. Or not, I really don't care." He grasped the armrest and groaned, getting to his feet with noticeable difficulty.

"Dad… are you-" Lincoln began, but his father simply waved off his concern.

"We're leaving in two months," The elder Loud said. "I'll give you till the 29th to make up your mind… after that, I'm putting it back on the market. And that's the _only_ reason I want you calling me again, got it?"

"I…" Lincoln trailed off, averting his eyes from his father. "...Yeah. Yeah, I got it."

"Good." Lynn said with a curt nod. "I guess that's that, then."

"...Yeah." Lincoln muttered. Lynn's frown deepened as he glanced over at his son. His gaze lingered on the sullen man sitting before him, taking in his appearance much as Lincoln had taken in his. He still looked so much like the child he'd known… his white hair, freckled cheeks, chipped overbite. Those baby-blue eyes, just like Rita's. And yet even at thirty years of age, the man looked almost as brow-beaten and exhausted as he did. Lynn sighed; he supposed if he was ever going to say it, it had to be now.

"I… I don't hate you, Lincoln." He said quietly, his son looking back up at him in surprise. "I don't hate _any_ of you, I never could. But I can't forgive you, either… not for what you did to us. To this _family."_

"I know." Lincoln's voice was barely loud enough for his father to hear, but he got the message nonetheless. He knew his son was genuinely remorseful… he knew his son was a good man. But Lynn could only forgive so much.

"You still have a chance to set things right with them, though." Lynn said. "And I'm sure you will. You'll try your best, at least... you always did." The older man adjusted his coat before giving his son a half-hearted pat on the shoulder. "The rest is up to you, Lincoln. Good luck." With that, he turned and set back off down the path. Lincoln felt conflicted as he watched him leave… part of him wanted to beg for forgiveness. Part of him wanted to scream at the man for being so dismissive of his own children.

Part of him just wanted to hug his father again.

"D-dad!" Lincoln called out as he stood from the bench, halting his father in his tracks. "Look, I get that you resent me, and the others too… but the kids didn't do anything wrong. They… t-they deserve to know their grandparents, at least." For a few moments Lynn neither spoke nor moved, not so much as glancing back at his son.

"...Goodbye, Lincoln." And that was that; Lynn continued on without saying anything further. Lincoln stood and watched him walk away, not moving until the man had completely disappeared from his sight. Then, Lincoln let out a deep breath and collapsed back onto the bench, his knees giving way beneath him. To say that their meeting had been emotionally draining would be an understatement… he almost felt physically exhausted, and as much as he wanted to hurry back home and pass out on the couch even the mere task of walking to his car seemed daunting at the moment. So he sat, and waited.

And thought.

He'd like to believe that his father's noncommittal response had been a 'yes'... or even a 'maybe' would suffice. But, his gut told him otherwise. What he and his sisters had done had hurt their parents so deeply that even now they were still feeling its impact. It was hardly surprising that they'd want nothing to do with them _or_ their inscestuous offspring. Hell, Lincoln doubted he would ever even speak to the man in person again.

Perhaps it was for the best.

After some time, Lincoln felt rested enough to get back on his feet. He trudged his way down the path, the leaves crunching beneath his feet as he walked. Lincoln had a lot to think about, to be sure… a lot to consider, and a lot to discuss. In any case, he knew that soon enough his life would be getting a hell of a lot more complicated than it already was.

As he drove home, Lincoln couldn't help but take a small detour. He veered off from the main roads, past familiar landmarks and down the peaceful residential streets. Finally, after some time he reached his destination: 1216 Franklin Ave.

His childhood home.

Lincoln parked across the street and got out of his car, hopeful that his parents wouldn't see him, assuming they were even home. It hadn't changed much over the years… it bore a fresh coat of paint, and the lawn was free from the discarded toys and junk that had once littered the grass. But other than that, it looked almost exactly as he'd remembered it.

Lincoln chuckled as the memories came back to him. It was a chaotic place, sure… and kind of a dump to boot. But it had been his home and, despite everything, he remembered it fondly. Perhaps his own children could make good memories there too.

He smirked, his gaze lingering on the old house a while longer before getting back into his car. Things were still far from set in stone, of course… he had no idea how the hell he was going to pitch this to his sisters, let alone his WIFE. But he'd think of something. He always did.

As Lincoln drove onwards towards Hazeltucky, he couldn't help but feel optimistic. As much as it stung, this final meeting with his father had, in a sense, brought with it a sense of closure. The end of one chapter in Lincoln's life, and the beginning of another.

Back where it all began in the first place.

* * *

 **First Contact**

"Ugh, just be quiet already…" Lyle groaned, pulling his pillow over his head in an attempt to drown out his new 'roommate' muttering in his sleep. Well, not so much 'muttering' as making unintelligible noises, as per usual; unlike the boy's annoyingly chatty twin sister, Lyle had yet to hear a single word out of Bobby beyond a simple 'mhm' or 'uh-uh'. Heck, he wasn't even sure if the boy could understand the majority of what was said to him. Not that he particularly _wanted_ to talk to the little twerp, but at five years old he should be able to say _something,_ right? Besides, he had to share a room with the kid… they should at least be able to communicate.

It had been a little over three weeks since he and Liena moved in with their father. When the truth came out, Lyle hadn't thought much of it. Unlike the others, his mother had never seen fit to hide his parentage from him. He understood the taboo nature of his conception, and he understood _why_ his 'uncle' had to remain just that: an uncle. So when he'd proposed the arrangement, Lyle had fully expected his mother to decline.

To his profound disappointment, she hadn't.

'That's a great idea!' She'd said. 'Brothers and sisters should totes grow up together!' Lyle disagreed entirely. He had been perfectly happy living with his mom and sister; his _only_ sister, as far as he was concerned. But despite his protests, he quickly found himself sharing a home with his father and stepmother, their two irritating brats, and a woman-child that couldn't even leave the house without having a panic attack. And worse still, their father had reached out to the others as well. It was only a matter of time before even more of his half-siblings claimed what little peace and quiet he had left.

Lyle sighed and turned onto his side, glaring at the blanket-covered lump in Bobby's bed. It wasn't fair. He'd been happy living with his mother. He adored her, and she adored him. And now? Now, not only had he been separated from _her,_ but rather than bunk with Liena he'd been forced to share a room with his 'little brother'... and at his mother's insistence, no less. Apparently both she and Ronnie agreed that rooming together would be good for both of them, though Lyle couldn't imagine how. 'Just give him a chance,' Liena had told him. 'I'm sure you two will get along.' Lyle had no idea how he was supposed to bond with a child that couldn't even talk, but if nothing else at least he was quiet.

"Nnnnn…" Well, _usually_ quiet anyway. Tonight, the boy seemed intent on making as much noise as possible.

"Be quiet," Lyle repeated, hissing through his teeth. He breathed a sigh of relief as Bobby's murmurs petered off, only to return a moment later, seemingly even louder than before. With a growl of frustration, Lyle threw off his blanket and got out of bed. "That's it," He snarled, stomping across the room to Bobby's bed. Whether he could understand him or not, he was going to give this kid a piece of his mind. "Do you have any idea how late it is?!" Lyle shouted down at the child-shaped lump in the bedsheets. "I'm tired! I'm trying to sleep! Shut _up!"_ But the muffled babbling didn't let up in the slightest. Lyle balled his hands into fists, his face scrunching up in anger. "Hey! Didn't you hear me?!" He snapped, grabbing the boy's blanket and yanking it away roughly. "I _said_ shut-"

As he pulled the blanket aside, Lyle's harsh words died in his throat. Bobby was trembling, curled into a fetal position with his face buried deep into his pillow.

He was crying.

"...Uh…" Lyle let go of the blanket, his brow furrowing at the sight before him. "...Bobby?" The boy didn't respond, simply letting out a sob and burying his face further into his pillow. Lyle frowned, letting go of the blanket as his anger faded away. "H-hey… Bobby." He reached out, feeling the younger boy jump slightly as he touched his shoulder. Bobby sniffled, pulling away from the pillow and wiping his eyes on his sleeve before glancing over his shoulder at Lyle. His eyes were red and wet with still-flowing tears. There was an awkward silence, broken only by the occasional sniffle or hiccup from the younger boy until Lyle spoke again. "Um… are you okay?" As expected, Bobby did not respond; he simply looked away, sniffling again and dabbing at his eyes with his sleeve. Lyle averted his eyes and rubbed his arm sheepishly, feeling a strong sense of guilt wash over him. Perhaps he'd been too harsh on him… Bobby was a sensitive boy after all, not to mention younger than him. "It's… it's because I yelled at you, isn't it…?" Lyle said with a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Uh-uh." Bobby mumbled, giving a small shake of his head. Lyle couldn't help but feel slightly pleased at this… it wasn't much, but it was a response at least.

"Well, what's wrong then?" He asked; again the little boy said nothing, hanging his head and wringing the ends of his sleeves. Lyle let out a huff and climbed onto the bed to sit beside him. "Hey… look at me," Lyle said softly. "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

"...Uh-uh."

"Are you feeling sick?"

"Uh-uh."

"Okay… um…" The effeminate boy muttered. "Is it too dark…? I think there's another night light somewhere..."

"Uh-uh." Lyle sighed and hung his head; this was getting him nowhere. Bobby seemed to pick up on his frustration and hugged his pillow to his chest, mumbling unintelligibly before taking a deep breath and trying again. "A-ah… R-R-Re… Rein…"

"Reina…?" Lyle asked. Bobby swallowed and gave a small nod.

"...Reina." Now, it was starting to make sense. Lyle had been so preoccupied with his own situation that he'd failed to consider that Bobby was in the same boat that he was… he and Reina had shared a room ever since the day they were born, and Lyle knew fully well just how close the two were. Reina had even thrown an explosive temper tantrum when their father revealed their new sleeping arrangements, though Bobby had remained silent as per usual.

"You miss her, don't you?" The little boy nodded again, embracing his pillow as though it were Reina herself. Before, Lyle would often snuggle up beside his sister for comfort when he was scared; perhaps the twins used to do the same. "I… know how you feel," Lyle admitted. "I miss Liena, too." Bobby glanced at him with an expression that was difficult to read. Sympathetic, perhaps. "It feels lonely without her, even though you're here. You feel the same, right?" The younger child frowned and nodded.

"...Mhm…" He mumbled before the two fell silent again. Lyle looked away, pursing his lips in thought. In all the time he'd known Bobby, this was the first time they had actually conversed.

Well… in a manner of speaking, anyway.

Still, even with so little actually being said, Lyle couldn't help but feel a connection with the boy… or an _understanding,_ at least. He wasn't the only one struggling to adapt to the change.

...But he _was_ the only one treating the other with hostility.

"Look…" Lyle took a deep breath, then exhaled. "...I'm… sorry," He said, visibly wincing as the words left his mouth. "I've been a jerk. Whether or not we like it, this is how it's going to be. So… I guess we should at least try to get along, right?" For a moment Bobby didn't respond; he simply stared at the older boy, as though studying him. Then, a small, barely noticeable smile crossed his face… the first Lyle had seen from him.

"...Mhm." Lyle couldn't help but return the boy's smirk with one of his own. There was another odd pause before Lyle cleared his throat.

"Alright… move over," He said; Bobby tilted his head in confusion. "You're lonely, I'm lonely, and honestly I'd rather not listen to you whining all night. So move over." Though hesitant, Bobby slowly scooted aside to give his brother space to lie down. Lyle awkwardly settled in beside him and pulled the blanket up to cover them. "Pillow?" Bobby glanced down at the pillow in his arms with a furrowed brow, frowning slightly before giving a reluctant nod. He set it down behind them, thankful that it was big enough to share.

"A-ah… um…" Bobby mumbled, wringing his hands in uncertainty. "A-a-a… you… s-s-s-"

"It's easier to sleep with someone next to you, isn't it?" The little boy thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Then it's fine. Now…" Lyle paused to stifle a yawn. "It's late, and I'm tired. So let's get to sleep."

"...Mhm."

Bobby scooted a bit further down the bed before laying back and resting his head against the pillow. He still looked a bit uncertain about sharing a bed with his older brother… unsurprising, considering that they barely knew one another. But for Lyle at least, the presence of another's warmth provided at least some comfort. The boy yawned again before settling down against the pillow and shutting his eyes.

"Good night, Bo-" Lyle was cut short, his eyes snapping open as he felt a weight pressing against his side; he looked down, grimacing at the sight of Bobby snuggling up against him. He didn't mind sleeping _beside_ the kid, but this was a bit much. Still, he was soft and warm, and quite frankly Lyle was far too tired to care. With a sigh of resignation, Lyle let his arm gently rest around the small boy's shoulders and shut his eyes again. "...Good night, Bobby." His little brother smirked and nestled into his side.

"...Good night, Lyle."


End file.
